Manchester City season may be limping towards an end but manager Manuel Pellegrini is still demonstrating the sort of resilience and fight that has been lacking in his players in so many key parts of a disappointing campaign.
Fernandinho's last-minute winner avoided yet another autopsy after City threw away a two-goal cushion over Villa.
Pellegrini, by general consensus, will have to launch a spirited defence of his managerial skills if he is to convince his billionaire paymasters that he is the man to lead the club into the third, and final, year of his contract at the Etihad this summer.
But the veteran Chilean, whose pre-season spending was limited by FFP regulations, clearly holds a committed belief that not only should no club be expected to win silverware every season but that finishing second in the current campaign does not represent failure.
"I think in a season when you don't win everything it is not a good season but I think it is not easy in this league to be in the second place," said Pellegrini.
"In this league you have five or six strong teams, the same strength as our team and in a bad season I don't think it is bad to finish second.
"We cannot win trophies every year. It is impossible especially in this year. This year Arsenal spend more money, Chelsea spend more money, United spend more money, Liverpool more money and have very strong squads – same as our squad. So if you think for this squad it is a bad position or shame to be in second place, I don't think so.
Pellegrini is, surely, too shrewd and experienced to truly believe that the club's Abu Dhabi owners will be content with the season over which he has just presided.
And while he has clearly reached the end of his tether with the media suggesting the campaign has been a disappointment, Pellegrini is failing to acknowledge that the likes of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are also constantly quizzed about their failure in various competitions.
After Sergio Aguero was gifted an opener by Villa keeper Brad Guzan and Aleksandar Kolarov made it 2-0, goals from Tom Cleverley and Carlos Sanchez levelled the scores on 85 minutes.
Christian Benteke then broke clean through on goal only to be brought down by Joe Hart after an assistant's flag had incorrectly ruled him offside – the sort of unfortunate break that tends to curse a team like Villa that is scrapping to avoid relegation.
The fact that the offside decision was given with Benteke on the edge of the 18-yard box - offering the linesman decent perspective on a decision he still got wrong - just added to the sense of injustice felt by manager Tim Sherwood.
"I think he got helped out by the line as well - he's got the 18-yard box there to see," said Sherwood.
"You get some and you don't get others but let's hope it's just cost us that game. It'll be a very expensive mistake otherwise."
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