Brad Guzan: The American may have let in four goals, but until then he had been putting in a good display. Made a brilliant save from Toure in the first half and gave a good account of himself on a tough night. 7/10Matthew Lowton: Put in a solid display and was able to keep Kolarov and Nasri quiet for the most of the match. A decent performance from a player who has improved over the course of the campaign. 6/10Ron Vlaar: Like Guzan, Vlaar was at the heart of Villas defence until the deadlock was broken. Competed for everything and battled hard, a strong example set by the captain. 7/10Nathan Baker: A good effort from the youngster, but eventually blown away by Citys pace and power. 6/10Ciaran Clark: The third of Villas three centre backs, Clark tried his best to help Paul Lamberts side hold out. Made some good blocks and tackles during the first half. 6/10Ryan Bertrand: The on-loan Chelsea player had a torrid night against the overlapping Zabaleta. The 5-3-2 formation meant that Milner and the Argentine constantly had a two on one against him. 4/10Karim El Ahmadi: Started with lots of energy, but faded as the game progressed. Spent much of the game without the ball and thus couldnt make an impact. 5/10
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
