Manchester City moved up to second in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.



A 48th minute Michael Johnson strike was enough for City manager Sven Goran Eriksson to see his side arrest a run of two straight defeats.


Both sides had found the first half hard going with chances on goal coming at a premium.


Villa fought hard in a frenetic match but were unable to create one real clear chance as City maintained their 100 per cent home record this season.


It was Villa manager Martin O'Neil who saw his side threaten first after six minutes when John Carew got away from Javier Garrido down the right and cut inside, but his shot was blocked by Vedran Corluka.



Dominate


However, the Croat then went close for City three minutes later when his powerful right-foot shot drifted just wide.


Gareth Barry had started well for Villa and his high hanging cross from the left was fumbled by Kasper Schmeichel, who looked nervy through out, but the chance fell to Olof Mellberg who squandered his effort.


City, though, then began to dominate and Darius Vassell came close with a glancing header from a Martin Petrov free-kick in the 17th minute.


Johnson should have scored for City two minutes later when he charged down a Martin Laursen clearance and was released into the box by Elano, but Scott Carson came out well to block the attack.


Brazil midfielder Elano, who was City's influential force, then cleared the danger at the other end after Carew had headed Barry's corner goalwards.


City then took the lead three minutes after the interval when Johnson and Elano exchanged passes in central midfield before the 19-year-old jinked past Laursen, burst into the box and prodded past Carson while fending off three Villa defenders.



Shake-up


There was a scare within four minutes though as Bouma's left-wing cross was met by Carew ahead of his marker, but he wasted the chance with a disappointing header.


Emile Mpenza then sliced a shot wide after a forward burst by Petrov, but Villa were not out of it and Corluka's alertness prevented a goal at the other end as he slid in to clear with Gabriel Agbonlahor poised.


Sun Jihai came on for Vassell in the 65th minute while a minute later Shaun Maloney replaced Carew for the visitors as the rain began to teem down in trademark Manchester fashion.


Luke Moore had a goal disallowed for pushing with 17 minutes to go as the luck again favoured City.


Martin O'Neill tried a late shake-up with Stiliyan Petrov replacing Nigel Reo-Coker and Craig Gardner coming on for Bouma, while the excellent Elano was replaced by Michael Ball as City looked to hold on.


However, Johnson could have added a second after another break from deep but Gardner blocked his shot.


Substitute Rolando Bianchi almost added a breakaway second but his effort was cleared off the line by Barry as 1-0 proved to be enough for City.

Aston Villa fan Zat Knight scored on his debut to help his new side shatter Chelsea's seven-month unbeaten Premier League record with a 2-0 win.



Knight, a £3.5million capture from Fulham, headed in the opening goal after 47 minutes and then with two minutes left Gabriel Agbonlahor made sure of victory with a second goal.


Defeat cost Chelsea the chance to regain top spot in the table from Liverpool, who were the last side to defeat the Blues in the league back in January.


Chelsea, however, have been jinxed at Villa Park and they have now not triumphed there in eight seasons.


Jose Mourinho's side enjoyed far more possession but they struggled to create clear-cut openings against a well drilled Villa.


Martin Laursen, after an uncertain opening, had an excellent game at the heart of the home defence despite being given a difficult afternoon by Didier Drogba.


There was a desperation about Chelsea's play in the second half, but they only mustered two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes.


An increasing worry for Chelsea was that Drogba had to be helped off the pitch at the final whistle after suffering a leg injury.



Penalty claim


Chelsea had begun positively and had a strong claim for a penalty when Laursen appeared to bring Shaun Wright-Phillips down in the area, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved the protests.


Drogba was operating as the only out-and-out striker for Chelsea, but they attacked with purpose and pace in the early stages.


However, it was Chelsea keeper Petr Cech who was called upon to make the first meaningful save when Ashley Young, who was a threat throughout, produced a dangerous ball into the near post and picked out Agbonlahor who spun sharply and had his powerful left-footed drive parried away by Cech.


Chelsea, though, were soon back on the offensive and skipper John Terry was only just too high with a header from Florent Malouda's curling corner.


Then Villa keeper Scott Carson was twice called into action to save low drives from Michael Essien and Wright-Phillips.


But Agbonlahor would have been disappointed to send a low attempt straight at Cech with no real power after the ball had rebounded off Alex.


Then the England Under 21 striker out jumped Ashley Cole to make contact with a Gareth Barry cross but his header went wide of the target.


Villa began the second half on the offensive and Cech tipped over a curling effort from Young after John Carew had laid the ball back into his path.


Then after 47 minutes Knight celebrated his debut by putting Martin O'Neill's side in front.



Debut goal


Barry supplied the inswinging corner and Knight, who last weekend scored an own goal on the same ground in his last league match for Fulham, rose above Drogba to head past Cech.


Ashley Cole tried to keep out the downward header but could only help it over the line.


Mourinho's instant response was to take off Mikel and bring on Claudio Pizarro as he reverted from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 formation and Chelsea launched an offensive onslaught.


Drogba showed great skill to spin past Laursen and race into the Villa box but Mellberg did well to cut out his low centre.


Mourinho then brought on Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou for Wright-Phillips and Claude Makelele and it was one-way traffic towards the Villa goal and Terry was only just too high with a powerful header from a Joe Cole corner.


But the Blues were still struggling to create clear-cut openings for all their lengthy spells of possession.


Then with two minutes left Agbonlahor turned home Young's cross from the left flank to settle the issue.

Aston Villa comfortably sealed their passage into the third round of the Carling Cup with a 5-0 win over League Two side Wrexham.



Shaun Maloney curled home a shot into the bottom corner on 30 minutes at The Racecourse Ground to take the visitors in at half-time ahead.


Wrexham began the second-half brightly but quick goals from Luke Moore and Nigel Reo-Coker killed off The Dragons' chances.


Moore headed Gareth Barry's free-kick past Michael Jones in the 52nd minute before Reo-Coker added a third ten minutes later.


Maloney fired in his second from range and Marlon Harewood wrapped up the scoring with his first goal for Villa with 12 minutes remaining.


The impressive Maloney had served notice of his intentions down the left from the very first minute, when he screwed a free-kick over Jones' bar.


Steve Evans just failed get a touch onto Chris Llewellyn's deflected free-kick at the other end before Gareth Barry played in Maloney and his curling shot beat Jones.


Villa almost went further ahead in the 39th minute when Gabriel Agbonlahor crossed low from the right and Harewood was inches from connecting in front of goal.


But Brian Carey's men were still in the tie and within seconds of the restart Michael Proctor's clever-lay off sent Eifion Williams racing clear only for Stuart aylor to parry his shot.


In the 49th minute the home side came even closer to equalising, when Williams crossed for Llewellyn, whose shot on the turn was scrabbled out for a corner by the Villa keeper.


It was the home side's last chance as Villa responded by turning on the style, with Harewood clattering the base of Jones' left-hand post with a long-range effort.


Then Barry dropped a free-kick from the right flank perfectly onto the head of Moore, whose lofted effort beat Jones and sailed into the top corner.


Villa grabbed their third when Harewood sent through Reo-Coker, who capitalised on a mistake by Shaun Pejic to slide the ball past Jones.


And with the visitors now threatening to score almost at will, Agbonlahor breezed clean through and was only denied when Jones bravely dived at his feet.


Maloney grabbed his own slightly fortunate second in the 71st minute when he struck a long-range effort that caught out Jones and bounced into the net for Villa's fourth.


And there was to be no respite for the dejected home side, who conceded their fifth in the 79th minute when Harewood swept home at close range from Maloney's corner.