Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Premier League clash between Manchester City and Aston Villa. The result in this match will have a huge impact on the title race one way or the other, so whatever happens we are in for a significant night. Let's start with a look at the title-chasing hosts...

The title is very much in Manchester City's hands going into the final two games of their season, and four points should be enough to clinch their second top-flight success in three years. Liverpool's defeat at the hands of Chelsea put City in the driving seat in terms of goal difference, but Monday's incredible 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace on Selhurst Park means that City now have room for error in one of their two remaining home games.

With Villa and then West Ham United to play, it would take an unlikely collapse for City not to win the title now. Defeat in one of those games would hand the initiative back to Liverpool, but with both coming at the Etihad Stadium they will be confident of amassing the four points needed to finish as champions. However, Manuel Pellegrini will be telling his side not to take anything for granted just yet, and they only need to look to the events at Selhurst Park to see the perils that could still face them. It has been a topsy-turvy season and there could still be a twist yet to come, so City will need to ensure that it doesn;t come from their end.

Of course, City themselves know all about how quickly things can change on the final day of the season. No matter what happens tonight, Liverpool will still be in with a chance of winning the title on the final day of the season - a situation similar to the one City found themselves in two years ago. On that occasion they were losing 2-1 to Queens Park Rangers before two goals in stoppage time handed them the title in the most dramatic of fashions from the clutch of local rivals Manchester United.

The current squad is arguably even better than that of 2012, and it also has the crucial factor of experience. Many of the players involved in this year's race were also present when they won the title two seasons ago, and that could stand them in good stead as they look to finish the job professionally. Whatever happens within the next week, it has been a thrilling race and either City or Liverpool will become the first team in the Premier League era to have scored more than 90 goals and not won the title.

Liverpool moved to within one of a century of goals on Monday, while City are four short of triple figures themselves. It is at the other end that the big difference could be felt, however, with City boasting the second best defensive record in the division. That, coupled with their free-scoring exploits at the other end, gives them the best goal difference in the league, which also hands them the safety of being able to finish level on points with Liverpool and still win the league.

Anything but an Aston Villa defeat tonight would see City return to the summit of the Premier League, and they come into the game in good form. Following their defeat to Liverpool and draw with Sunderland, many thought that City's title challenge was all but over. However, their rivals have also slipped up and, with three wins on the bounce, City have taken full advantage. Ominously for Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea, City have the best home record in the league having lost just once and dropped just five points at the Etihad this season.

Pellegrini's side have also scored more home goals than any other team in the league this season, netting 57 times in their 17 matches to date. They account for more than a third of their overall tally of 150 goals in all competitions this season - a whopping 107 more than Villa have managed. The defeat at home to Chelsea was the only time in the last 67 home league games that City have failed to score.

As for Villa, they will be delighted that this match holds much less significance for them than it does for Manchester City. Their end-of-season nerves have been eased with a 3-1 win over Hull that secured their Premier League status for another season at least. It has been a tricky campaign for the Midlands club, but the experience of another relegation battle could prove to be valuable in the future.

Indeed, while Paul Lambert has come under increasing pressure in the dugout, Villa need just three points from their last two matches to equal last season's points tally of 41. Whether that will be enough to save the Scot's job this summer remains to be seen - and that is also likely to be affected by owner Randy Lerner's decision over his future - but the main thing this season was to stay up and they have managed that with a couple of matches to spare.

The pressure on Lambert has not been entirely unjustified, with Villa suffering a poor run of form in recent weeks. The victory over Hull was their first in seven matches, a run that included five defeats and stretched back to March. A victory over City tonight would certainly make that record look a lot better, but the fans will mostly just want a performance that hints at an optimistic 2014-15 campaign for the club.

The fact that Villa are now safe could go one of two ways for City. On the one hand, a team fighting for their lives against relegation are often capable of pulling unexpected results out of the bag, as Sunderland have shown in recent weeks. However, Villa can now play with freedom, which could make them an equally dangerous prospect for the hosts tonight.

If they are to get anything from this match then they will need to vastly improve their recent away record. They have not won on their travels since January, a run of seven matches that have yielded just two points from a possible 21. They have only won four times on the road all season, although an opening-day victory over Arsenal at the Emirates does hint towards them being able to raise their performances against the big boys.

Indeed, Villa have established themselves as giant killers of sorts this season, with victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and in the reverse fixture against Manchester City. The win over Chelsea had a significant say on the title race, and another surprise victory tonight would have an even bigger impact at the top of the table. They have also held Liverpool to a draw at Anfield this season, so Villa could end up being one of the teams who have had the biggest say on the race for the Premier League crown this season.

More promising news comes in the shape of their overall record against the top four this season. Only Chelsea have amassed more points against the teams currently in the Champions League places, with Villa picking up 10 so far. However, they have lost their last four away matches and would need a shock result to prevent them from falling a fifth straight away defeat for the first time since December 2006-February 2007.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides and the big news for City is that Yaya Toure starts as expected. He was taken off in that crucial win against Everton at the weekend as a precaution, but is fit to start tonight. There is no place in the squad for Navas, however, while Dzeko starts up front following his brace at Goodison. Negredo and Fernandinho are amongst the subs. For Villa, meanwhile, Agbonlahor is out through injury, which means Bowery once again starts with Weimann. Full team news for both sides coming up...

MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov; Garcia, Yaya Toure, Milner, Silva, Nasri; Dzeko

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Pantilimon, Lescott, Richards, Clichy, Fernandinho, Negredo, Jovetic

ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Bertrand; Westwood, Delph, El Ahmadi; Weimann, Bowery

ASTON VILLA SUBS: Steer, Bacuna, Sylla, Holt, Robinson, Grealish, Tonev

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, starting with City it is no surprise to see Edin Dzeko again lead the line for the hosts. His two goals against Everton could prove to be among the most important of his whole career, and he has firmly established himself above Negredo in the pecking order now. Aguero's absence is a blow, but City have coped well without the Argentine at other times this season and should have enough strength throughout the side to do so again tonight.

The midfield is a rather safe choice from Manuel Pellegrini, which is perhaps a nod towards this match is more a must-not-lose game than a must-win one. Garcia and Milner are both more defensively minded than other options available to the City manager and can help to plug any gaps in the midfield should the hosts find themselves with a lead they need to protect. There are offensive weapons in the midfield, however, and Silva and Nasri are both capable of causing plenty of problems.

The biggest weapon in the hosts' arsenal tonight is Yaya Toure, however. Had it not been for Luis Suarez's sensational season, Toure could well have been named player of the year for his superb displays throughout the campaign. Having him back fit for the final two games of the season is a massive plus as he can be unstoppable at times - as shown against Crystal Palace recently. He is just one goal away from becoming only the second midfielder to score 20+ goals in a Premier League season, following in the footsteps of Frank Lampard.

While City's attack has taken most of the plaudits this season, the defence could end up being the difference between themselves and Liverpool. The likes of Hart, Demichelis and even Kompany have come under criticism at different parts of the season, but they are starting to look like a solid unit at the back now. Only Chelsea have conceded fewer goals than City, so their defence is clearly doing something right. A deleted Villa attack will have trouble getting through them tonight.

The absences of Benteke and Agbonlahor are both clearly significant ones for Villa, and while Weimann has shown flashes of being able to trouble defences, he still isn't as consistent a threat as those two. Bowery will look to grab his chance with both hands, and often a young player with nothing to lose is more dangerous than an experienced head - as Wilson showed for Manchester United last night. City can't afford to take the youngster lightly tonight.

Perhaps the biggest threat to City's defence will come from midfield in the form of Delph. The Villa man has enjoyed an impressive season, so much so that there were faint calls for him to be included in the World Cup squad not too long ago. He will look to be the creative force again, but will need to shake off the likes of Garcia, who will no doubt look to stifle the room in the hole.

Villa's defence will be happy to see no Aguero on the opposition team sheet, but there are still likely to come under heavy and prolonged pressure this evening. Paul Lambert's side took plenty of criticism for having such an inexperienced backline last season, but they have stayed together for the most part and that can only help them in the long run. Led by Ron Vlaar, they will look to frustrate the rampant City attack tonight and will not want to be the defence that concedes City's 100th league goal of the season.

PREDICTION: Right, we have 10 minutes until kickoff at the Etihad, which means that it is time for my match prediction! Villa have recorded some unlikely victories against big teams this season, but the fact that they have nothing to play for and City would move to within one point of the title with a victory is something that can't be ignored. There have been shocks galore already this season, but with the pressure somewhat off the hosts I don't think there will be another one tonight. I'll go for a 3-0 home win.

City's recent record against Villa also points towards a victory for the home side, despite losing the reverse fixture 3-2 earlier this season. They have won 10 of their last 11 home games against the Midlands outfit and boast 18 victories against them in the Premier League era - more than they have managed against any other side.

It gets worse for Villa as those victories have usually been emphatic ones. City have scored at least four goals against them in each of their last three meetings at the Etihad, including a 5-0 win in the corresponding fixture last season. Villa, meanwhile, have lost in each of their last six visits to the Etihad, conceding 19 goals in the process.

There are reports of many fans being stuck in traffic at the moment due to two roads into the ground being closed. So far there is no news on a delayed kickoff at the Etihad, but I will keep you updated if that changes. As things stand, we're all set for a 7.45pm start as City look to edge ever closer to their second title in three years.

Villa will see their support grow substantially tonight as both Liverpool and Chelsea also hope for a City slip-up. It is unlikely that we will see anything quite as dramatic as Monday's 3-3 draw between Liverpool and Palace at Selhurst Park, but that at least showed that anything can happen in the Premier League. It is now up to City to make sure they don't suffer a capitulation of their own in these final two matches. Remember, a win or draw for the hosts would put them top, while defeat to leave them second and hand the initiative in the title race to Liverpool.

Whatever the result tonight, it will have a huge impact on the title race one way or the other. The rain is pouring in Manchester - could that also have an impact tonight?

KICKOFF: Aston Villa get us underway at a soaking Etihad ahead of the biggest match of the season so far for the hosts. Victory would not only put them a point away from the title but would also see them knock Chelsea out of the race.

Silva takes an early tumble in the box under the challenge of Westwood, who had just been caught the wrong side of the Spaniard. Michael Oliver is having none of it, however, and it is the right call. It was a clumsy looking challenge from the Villa man, but Silva went down too easily.

SAVE! City get behind the defence for the first time tonight as Dzeko makes a run down the channel before sliding the ball through to Kolarov. The full-back has no-one in the middle so goes for goal from an impossible angle, stinging the palms of Guzan.

The rain really is torrential at the Etihad, and it is hard to see who that will benefit most tonight. On the one hand, Villa may find it easier to dig in if City can't play their usual slick passing game, but Villa also like to play on the counter and any long ball forward could hold up in the sodden grass.

City have started well here and are threatening to break through already. Villa are choosing to play the offside trap and the hosts have almost sprung it on a number of occasions. It could be a long night for the visitors.

Villa enjoy their first real spell of possession of the match but eventually give it away without making any serious headway. It looks as though they will struggle to find a way through City apart from the counter-attack tonight.

CHANCE! Big chance for City to take the lead as Milner slides a clever reverse pass to Zabaleta down the right, and the full-back pulls his low cross to Toure. The Ivorian gets a first-time shot away, but it is blocked by a mixture of Guzan and Vlaar on the line.

An early goal would be priceless for City here, but Liverpool's slip-up means that they could still be goalless with 20 minutes remaining and not need to panic. Remember, while a draw would not be ideal, it would be enough to put the title back in their hands going into the final game of the season.

UPDATE: There is one other match going on in the Premier League tonight and there has been a goal already at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland are facing West Brom. Jack Colback has given the hosts the lead in that match, which means that Sunderland would be safe if things stay the same. Norwich would also effectively be down due to their poor goal difference.

The early territory map has shown that Villa have had just 2% of play in City's third, while the hosts have had 25% in their attacking third. The visitors have certainly not threatened much, but remember they had less than 30% possession in the reverse fixture, which they won 3-2.

CHANCE! Almost the opener for City as they come down the left flank and Kolarov plays a brilliant low delivery in towards the front post. There is no Villa defender there to clear the danger, and Silva tries to flick it home but just can't make contact. Guzan is fortunate that it bounce safely into his arms.

City's best moments so far have come down the flanks, with Villa packing the middle with their three central defenders. Kolarov and Zabaleta are enjoying a lot of the ball with overlapping runs and that looks to be the hosts' most likely avenue for a goal at the moment.

Nice football from the hosts as Milner pings a raking cross-field pass to Nasri on the left. The Frenchman cuts inside and plays a one-two with Silva on the edge of the box before curling an effort off target. He probably should have done better from that position.

Villa's back five is rarely moving out from its set position at the moment, even when the visitors have possession. That means that even if City win it back in a promising position, there are always numbers back for Paul Lambert's side. However, it also means that City can push plenty of numbers forward.

The action areas map now shows 0% of the play in City's third in the last 10 minutes. It has been one-way traffic so far, but still there is no way through for the hosts.

Villa do make a rare foray into the City half as the hosts give the ball away carelessly. However, the attack quickly fizzles out as Hart collects an attempted cross at his near post. Villa just can't make it stick up front at the moment.

Villa have just started to come back into the game a little more, seeing more of the ball and causing some unease among the City defence. However, there are still no signs of a chance for the visitors, and them coming forward more may not be a bad thing for City either.

Villa's best moment of the match comes down the left flank as a slick passing move allows a cross to be delivered into the area. Kolarov slips to allow Bowery to get to the ball, but he can't connect well enough with his volley and his effort bounces wide.

UPDATE: There is delirium on Wearside as Sunderland have doubled their lead against West Brom through Fabio Borini, who is fast becoming a Black Cats hero. As things stand, Sunderland are safe and Norwich are effectively down.

Meanwhile at the Etihad, City look to pass their way through an absolutely packed penalty area, but Villa eventually scramble it away. From the resulting corner Villa break quickly through Weimann, who runs with the ball from his own half before firing a deflected effort wide.

The City fans are beginning to get more and more restless here as Villa start growing into the game. They have threatened more than the hosts over the last two or three minutes, which should be a warning sign to City that they could do with a goal as soon as possible.

CHANCE! Huge chance for City to break the deadlock! Toure slides the ball down the right channel for Zabaleta, who is onside despite Villa's defence screaming otherwise. He pulls it back to Silva, who takes a touch before scuffing his shot.

Baker is forced off the field momentarily after taking a whack from Guzan, who came out of goal to claim a cross. There was plenty of concern for the Villa defender immediately after the incident, but he will be able to continue.

Lambert has now pushed Weimann back into the midfield on the right wing to stop the forward runs of Kolarov, which has dramatically reduced the left-back's impact on the game. However, it also means that only Bowery is up front for the visitors now, giving them less of a threat on the break.

City continue to knock on the door, patiently probing for a way through this resolute Villa defence. They are absorbing everything so far, however, and will be desperate to hold out until half time now.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this half. Villa have all 11 men behind the ball at the moment and I don't expect that to change before the break.

CHANCE! Huge chance for City as they finally find a way through the Villa defence. Again it comes from the right flank as a low cross is played in towards the near post. Nasri gets there first but puts his effort wide from very close range. That was on the verge of being a sitter for the Frenchman.

City don't like doing things the easy way, do they? Manuel Pellegrini's men go into the halfway stage still goalless with Aston Villa and with anxiety levels beginning to grow around the Etihad Stadium. It has been a frustrating 45 minutes for the hosts, with Villa putting in a disciplined and stubborn defensive performance to keep them at bay so far.

The hosts have dominated territory and possession but have not been able to find a way through so far. Despite Villa's back five often crowding out the middle of the park, City have been able to carve out a few chances, mostly through progress down the flanks. The best fell to Nasri just before the break when he got in front of his man but put his effort wide of the near post from close range.

Toure and Silva have also had chances in similar circumstances as City continue to hurt Villa down the flanks. The clever passes through to Zabaleta and Kolarov have been the only instances that they have been able to get behind the defence, but with the box being so packed Villa have so far dealt with the cutbacks from the full-backs.

Of course, 0-0 is not the worst scoreline in the world for City, who only need four points from their final two games to clinch the title. However, there is a feeling of unrest around the ground as the fans want their team to move within one point tonight. A draw would pile a lot of pressure on the final day and hand Liverpool a hint of a lifeline after their slip against Palace.

Aston Villa have spent the vast majority of their time defending in this match, and so far the back five is performing very well. However, they have shown glimmers of threatening on the break, albeit very rarely. Still, City need to be wary of the threat the visitors pose or they could find themselves on the wrong end of another shock defeat similar to the one they suffered in the reverse fixture.

In truth, the hosts should never need to get nervous in this match. Even if the scores are still level in the dying stages, the title will still be in their hands, so they do not need to risk losing this match in an attempt to win it. However, there was a feeling in the first half that they were starting to get desperate for a goal, which could be dangerous for Pellegrini's side.

KICKOFF: City get us back underway for a huge 45 minutes in the title race as they look for a way through this Villa defence. Can they get it or will we be left with a three-horse race on the final day?

Again City find joy down the right flank as Toure floats the ball over the top for Zabaleta, who nods it back into the middle. Once again, though, Villa scramble it away before City can test Guzan, who has only had one save to make so far.

Dzeko is inches away from latching on to a fabulous pass over the top from Yaya Toure. For once there was space behind the visiting defence, but Dzeko just couldn't exploit it as the ball was fractionally too far in front of him. Had he controlled it, he'd have been through on goal.

SAVE! Almost a spectacular goal from Kompany to give his side the lead. An initial corner was cleared out as far as Silva, who nodded it back into a dangerous area. The City skipper goes for a bicycle kick, but it is straight at Guzan, who made the save. Kompany looked as if he may have been offside, but the flag didn't go up.

City keep on probing down the flanks and it really is only Zabaleta and Kolarov who look like getting behind the defence. The latter makes progress down the left again here, but once more the Villa defence clear it when the ball comes inside.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the night is shown to Delph, and it is a very harsh one. The midfielder did dive into the challenge on Silva, but he got plenty of the ball. That would never have been a foul a few years ago.

SAVE! From the resulting free kick, Kolarov goes for goal and stings the palms of Guzan with a fine effort. It was all of 30 yards from goal, but the left-back placed it with power towards the top corner, forcing Guzan to get across to make the stop.

ASTON VILLA SUB: Villa make the first change of the evening as Bowery makes way to be replaced by Leandro Bacuna.

MANCHESTER CITY SUB: Pellegrini responds with a change of his own, and it is a surprising one as Stevan Jovetic comes on for James Milner. It is an attacking change for the hosts, but not the one we expected with Negredo remaining on the bench.

Villa are just clearing everything that comes into their box here, and they deserve great credit for their defensive performance so far. They do not have anything to fight for yet have put everything into their performance to keep City at bay for more than an hour.

City finally get the breakthrough! It comes from the same means that most of their chances have come tonight as the ball is slipped through to Zabaleta down the right flank. The right-back slides a low ball across the face of goal and Dzeko gets in front of his man to knock in from close range. What a huge moment that could be in the title race.

So, as thing stand, City would move two points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table and would also knock Chelsea out of the title race. If everything stays the same, Pellegrini's side should only need a point on the final day of the season to clinch the title.

That goal takes all of the pressure off City, who were becoming increasingly anxious the longer this one stayed goalless. Now, though, Villa are likely to take more chances so City could find more space behind the defence. Still, the number one priority for the hosts now will be to keep a clean sheet.

City are now being sensible with their play, just keeping the ball and not committing too many men forward. Villa's biggest threat is their counter-attack, so as long as City make sure that they have that covered then they should be alright in the final 20 minutes or so.

If there was any doubt before, surely that is game over now. It is the same duo again for City as Zabaleta is released down the right and pulls the ball back to Dzeko, who again converts from close range. It has been City's best avenue of attack all match and has now undone Villa twice in the space of less than 10 minutes.

YELLOW CARD! City are pushing for a third now as the fans enter party mode. Jovetic wins a free kick right on the edge of the area, and the hosts have a very real chance of extending their lead even further. Ciaran Clark is shown a yellow card for the challenge.

Toure is the man who takes the free kick on, but his effort hits the wall and squirms behind for a corner. Nasri subsequent delivery is well cleared and the danger passes.

MANCHESTER CITY SUB: The hosts make a change as they look to rest some players before the final day, with David Silva making way to be replaced by Fernandinho for the final 15 minutes.

SAVE! A rare long shot from City as Jovetic strikes a low effort towards the corner from 25 yards. Guzan gets down well to make the save in what is fast becoming a mud bath in the middle of the penalty area. Unsurprisingly, the City box is still in pristine condition.

ASTON VILLA SUB: The visitors make another change as Lambert gives some time to young striker Callum Robinson, who comes on for Clark. That's an attacking change for Villa.

The target for the final 10 minutes for City could well be the 100-goal mark. They are currently on 98, one behind Liverpool, and would bring up the century with two more tonight. Of course, every goal City score now makes Liverpool's chance of recovering the goal difference more and more unlikely.

OFF THE BAR! Oh my word, Villa are inches away from pulling a goal back out of nothing. A deep free kick looks to be drifting harmlessly out of play but is nodded back into a dangerous position for Weimann. He wins the header and sends his effort crashing off the underside of the bar. It bounces back onto the line before being cleared away, and Michael Oliver looks to his watch, where he is informed that it didn't cross the line. Sobering moment for the hosts.

The replays do indeed confirm that it didn't go over the line, but it was incredibly close from Weimann. Goal-line technology came to the fore again there, and it makes you wonder why on earth it took the authorities so long to implement it in football.

MANCHESTER CITY SUB: There will be no hat-trick for Dzeko, but once again he has scored a couple of vital goals for his side here. He is replaced by Alvaro Negredo for the final five minutes or so.

ASTON VILLA SUB: Villa also make their final change of the night as Ryan Bertrand makes way to be replaced by another youngster, Jack Grealish.

City cap a huge victory off with a third goal and their 99th of the season. Toure takes his time with the ball on the edge of the box, moving this way and that before laying the ball off for Jovetic, who drills an accurate effort into the bottom corner. He whips off his shirt in celebration and is duly booked by the ref.

There will be a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match.

The century is up for City, and it is their player of the season Yaya Toure with the goal that brings up three figures. It is trademark Toure as well as he picks the ball up inside his own half before driving past a couple of challenges and keeping his composure to slot the ball past Guzan. Sensational from Toure, who is simply unstoppable in such circumstances.

There we have it! City edge ever closer to clinching their second Premier League title in the space of three years courtesy of a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa that sends them two points clear of Liverpool going into the final day of the season. It was nervy for 63 minutes, but once City found the breakthrough the floodgates opened and they got the three points that also means that Chelsea are officially out of the title race.

It was Dzeko who made the breakthrough shortly after the hour mark as he converted Zabaleta's cross from close range, and the same duo combined less than 10 minutes later for the hosts' second of the game. Two late goals added some gloss onto the victory, with Jovetic drilling home from the edge of the box and Toure bringing up his side's 100th league goal with a powerful run and smart finish.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole on what was a pivotal day in the Premier League title race as Manchester City move within one point of winning the league with a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa. I will leave you with our match report, while we will also have reaction and analysis for you on site shortly. We will also be covering every match on the final day of the season live as City look to finish the job, so be sure to check back in with us for that on Sunday. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!