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Aston Villa frustrate Manchester City as Rémi Garde makes instant impact

The Rémi Garde era is up and running and some hope has returned to these parts after Aston Villa produced a performance full of endeavour and spirt to end a run of seven successive defeats and frustrate the league leaders. Villa remain anchored to the bottom of the table but there were some positives signs for the home supporters to cling to on an afternoon when Manchester City were uncharacteristically profligate in front of goal.
Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne were both guilty of wasting excellent chances to give City the lead and the sense that this was not going to be the visitor’s day was confirmed in injury-time, when Fernando’s thumping header from the substitute Kelechi Iheanacho’s cross cannoned back off the crossbar.
There were still a few goalmouth skirmishes to endure after that and Villa were desperately hanging on come the end, with the final whistle greeted with the sort of celebrations that would normally be reserved for a victory. As for City, it is impossible to look on the result as anything other than two points dropped and their disappointment was compounded by a first-half injury to Wilfried Bony, who limped off with a pulled hamstring.

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