Manchester City ensured Aston Villa continue to wobble in the battle for a place in next season's UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 win at Eastlands on Wednesday night.
Villa began the campaign with sights firmly set on breaking the stranglehold of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League and, for the majority, Martin O'Neill's men have looked ready to disrupt the 'Big Four'.
However, a penalty from Elano and a late strike from Shaun Wright-Phillips, on the back of Sunday's home surrender of a two-goal lead against relegation-fighting Stoke, stretched Villa's winless run to six games in all competitions and further nudged the door open for fifth-placed Arsenal and chasing Everton.
The gap between Villa and the Gunners is now only three points, and the former - who had arrived at City hoping to notch a club-record eighth successive away win in the league - never truly looked like extending their narrow advantage.
So fragile on their travels, yet contrastingly creative and assured in the east of Manchester, City, who racked up their ninth home win, dominated the first half and were rewarded in the 24th minute when Elano converted from the penalty spot after James Milner had felled Wright-Phillips.
Villa came to life after the interval, but City delivered a hammer blow with 60 seconds left on the clock as Wright-Phillips slotted past Brad Friedel following an excellent give-and-go with Stephen Ireland.
Ever since his ill-advised TV interview earlier in the season in which he questioned why Mark Hughes kept leaving him out, Elano has maintained an uneasy public truce with his manager.
There are plenty who suggest the Brazilian remains a disruptive influence behind the scenes and there have certainly been times when he has appeared something short of a consummate team man.
Highlight:
Man City v Aston Villa
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