In-form Manchester City set up a potential multi-million pound UEFA Cup showdown with Middlesbrough after ending Aston Villa's own European dream with a decisive early double blast.

Seventh place in the Barclays Premiership, and with it UEFA Cup football next season, is still up for grabs after Boro managed a 1-0 Riverside victory over Tottenham, combined with City stretching their unbeaten run to seven games.

The Teesiders are favourites after staying three points clear of City, but in a winner-take-all showdown at the City of Manchester Stadium, Stuart Pearce's side could still snatch that crucial spot with a last-day win over Boro.

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Kiki Musampa were both on target inside the opening 12 minutes as Villa appeared to still be in a state of shock following last Sunday's 5-1 mauling at Tottenham.

There was only one team who had bothered to turn up in the early exchanges, with the City players clearly doing their level best to ensure Pearce is given the post of manager on a more permanent basis in the summer as they ran David O'Leary's woeful side ragged.

There is a freedom about City these days that was evident - all too infrequently and so frustratingly under former boss Kevin Keegan - and it is paying handsome dividends.

Pearce's side were fast out of the blocks and should have taken a third-minute lead, only for Musampa to drag a left-foot shot through the six-yard box after playing an incisive one-two inside the penalty area with Claudio Reyna.

But the sizeable travelling City faithful did not have to wait long to see their side make the breakthrough, with Wright-Phillips again underlining just why he is likely to become a target for money-laden predators this summer with his 11th goal of the season.

Picking up a simple ball out of defence 10 yards inside the Villa half, Wright-Phillips embarked on a mazy run that took him past the challenges of Jlloyd Samuel, Gareth Barry and Mark Delaney before eventually despatching a crisp right-foot shot past Thomas Sorensen.

It was then a case of from one winger to another, with Musampa scoring only his second goal of a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid in the 12th minute, with Villa all at sea.

A Delaney mistake five yards outside his own area allowed Antoine Sibierski to deliver a cross that was flicked on to an all-alone Musampa to drive home a crisp half-volley into the top left-hand corner.

Even then Villa remained in a state of slumber as errors continued to undermine their performance, with the next setting up Jonathan Macken, in the starting line-up due to Robbie Fowler's absence with a calf injury.

Fortunately for Sorensen, who missed last week's defeat to Tottenham through illness, he was grateful to see the Republic of Ireland striker fail to cleanly connect with a long-range effort.

But worse almost followed when Martin Laursen was dispossessed soon after by Macken, who then played in a wide-open Sibierski.

The French midfielder, however, dallied too long on his shot and that allowed the Dane to atone for his indiscretion with a superb sliding tackle inside the area.

Eventually, Villa showed signs of life and they should have pulled at least one goal back just before the break, only for Steven Davis to twice end up the villain.

Initially, after being given a clear sight of goal by Lee Hendrie, he drove a low shot into the sidenetting when he should have at least hit the target.

He managed that moments later after intercepting Ben Thatcher's weak chested pass back to David James from a Barry left-wing cross, but the England international spared the blushes of his left back with a brave and brilliant point-blank block.

With the momentum now with Villa, it was they who came out for the second period fired up, and buoyed by a double substitution that saw Nolberto Solano and Eric Djemba-Djemba on for Samuel and Thomas Hitzlsperger.

The newly-introduced duo combined within 75 seconds, with the Peruvian's corner headed narrowly over the bar by the Cameroon midfielder, and from that moment Villa controlled the game.

After James had touched wide a stabbed shot from Darius Vassell, Villa's reward for their pressure came on the hour, with Solano's low pass in from the right dummied by Hendrie and picked up by Angel who turned and drilled home his ninth goal of the season.

But out of the blue, and from another mistake by Delaney, Wright-Phillips should have killed the game in the 70th minute as he took advantage of a weak back pass, only to lob the ball over the onrushing Sorensen and the bar.

Villa ended the game strongly with Barry inches wide with a flick header to a Solano free-kick, although in the dying moments Musampa hit the post with a low stabbed shot.

Teams

Aston Villa Sorensen, De la Cruz, Laursen, Delaney, Samuel (Djemba-Djemba 45), Hendrie (Moore 78), Davis, Hitzlsperger (Solano 45), Barry, Angel, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Postma, Ridgewell.

Booked: Solano.

Goals: Angel 61.

Man City James, Mills, Distin, Onuoha, Thatcher, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Reyna, Barton, Musampa, Sibierski (Bradley Wright-Phillips 71), Macken (Croft 79).

Subs Not Used: Weaver, Sommeil, Jordan.

Booked: Barton.

Goals: Shaun Wright-Phillips 5, Musampa 12.

Att: 39,645

Ref: R Beeby (Northamptonshire).