Aston Villa v Man City half-time update

A £45 million shoot-out as Darren Bent makes his Aston Villa debut and fellow big money signing Edin Dzeko is in the Manchester City side, but it is Bent who has made the big impact.

For the hosts, Gerard Houllier made three changes from the team that drew with Birmingham. Carlos Cuellar comes into defence in place of Kyle Walker, Ashley Young returns after a ban to replace Nigel Reo-Coker and Bent takes the place of the departed John Carew up front.

Roberto Mancini recalled Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Kolo Toure and £27 million striker Dzeko to the first team after they were rested for the FA Cup win over Leicester.

Former City defender Richard Dunne had the first half-chance of the game, when he got on the end of a Young free-kick and headed over the bar as both teams battled for control in the early period.

The breakthrough came on 17 minutes and Bent showed why he was signed as he scored his first Villa goal on his debut. Joe Hart only parried a shot from Young and Bent was the first to react and he put the ball into the net to immediately warm himself to the celebrating Villa fans.

City almost broke back on 21 minutes as Yaya Toure was left in space and got on the end of a Kolarov ball in which Friedel instinctively palmed over another corner, which also caused panic in the Villa box, but the home side managed to clear.

Both sides showed hesitancy in defence that could lead to chances but Villa looked the more dangerous in open play throughout the opening half hour of the game.

City created a quality opening on 32 minutes but Kolarov hit his cross too hard across the area when there were three attackers to aim for in good positions, and Dzeko then ran at the Villa defence and caused problems to win a corner that Kolarov put on the foot of Toure, but his shot was cleared.

Former Villa midfielder Gareth Barry was the next City man to have a good opportunity with a header as he got in front of Dunne and flicked his attempt narrowly wide of the goal – with the visitors looking very dangerous from balls into the box.

It is an enthralling end-to-end game in which both teams look capable of scoring and conceding, so expect more goals at Villa Park in the second half. City need all three points to keep up with United and Villa want to climb away from danger, so both teams have it all to play for.

Line-ups:

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Clark, Albrighton, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Bent

Subs: Marshall, Pires, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Bannan, Herd, Baker

Man City: Hart, Boateng, Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Yaya Toure, Tevez, Dzeko

Subs: Given, Zabaleta, Milner, Johnson, Lescott, Vieira, Jo