Villa have agreed a fee for Richard Dunne

Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Manchester City for defender Richard Dunne.

The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international is now negotiating with Villa over personal terms.

Dunne's future at Eastlands looked uncertain following the arrival of Joleon Lescott from Everton this week.

Dunne was in the team that defeated newly-promoted Wolves last weekend but that looks likely to have been his final match for City.

Club captain Dunne joined City from Everton for £3 million in October 2000.

It was Stuart Pearce who handed him the captain's armband at the start of the 2006/07 season.

Dunne was on the pitch for every minute of every game that season, both league and cup, and went on to land fans' player-of-the-season honours for the third successive time. Twelve months later, he made history by picking up the coveted award for the fourth time.

The big defender continued as City captain under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Mark Hughes and is still a vital member of the Republic of Ireland team.

Tottenham 2-1 Manchester City

Tottenham skipper Robbie Keane grabbed a late winner against Manchester City to keep alive his side's hopes of a European place.

Jermain Defoe had opened the scoring at White Hart Lane, then was involved in a clash that led to one of the assistant referees being injured and replaced at half-time.

Valeri Bojinov equalised for City but Keane scored the winner from the penalty spot, meaning the race for seventh place in the Barclays Premier League will go to the wire.

By only conceding one goal, Spurs also established a new league club record for least goals conceded at home in a season - but it was the fact that they edged an action-packed encounter that really mattered.

After scoring the opener, Defoe was involved in the bizarre incident with the assistant referee on the stroke of half-time.

Nedum Onuoha challenged him on the touchline and as he rolled off the floor Defoe must have felt a touch. The England striker may have felt it was his opponent but it was actually assistant referee Trevor Massey, with Defoe instinctively flicking out.

It did not appear deliberate but Massey still required treatment and was replaced by Stuart Attwell at the interval.

Spurs should have sealed the points by then but Shay Given single-handedly kept his side in the match.

It was Keane who set up the first chance. Defoe had already had a strike ruled out for offside, then Keane slipped him the ball in the fourth minute. Defoe took a touch inside and curled an effort on target, with Given leaping to his left to keep out the effort.

Given's high standards means those type of saves are now expected of him, and he was down sharply again when Roman Pavlyuchenko tried his luck from 25 yards.

The Republic of Ireland stopper pulled another save out of the top drawer when Ledley King connected with Tom Huddlestone's corner, with a reflex stop required on the line.

Given was finally beaten, just before the half-hour mark, by Defoe's impish piece of skill.

Jermaine Jenas shifted the ball to Huddlestone on the right, the cross came over but was slightly behind Defoe, so the striker back-heeled on the volley beyond Given.

It was his first goal since a foot injury in January kept him out for 10 weeks, and City may have been disappointed that Elano was not taken off just before the goal.

The Brazilian was struggling with an eye complaint and was taken off for Pablo Zabaleta just after the opener.

There had been very little for Oasis singer Liam Gallagher to shout about from the stands, only a poked Martin Petrov effort, a finish that suggested he was a player short of confidence and a right foot.

Alan Hutton came on at the break for Jonathan Woodgate, meaning Spurs made a change as well as the officials.

Spurs had won their previous four home matches 1-0 and City were determined to break that sequence, with Micah Richards raiding down the right trying to make something happen.

Felipe Caicedo had sight of goal but his effort was sliced wildly and almost went for a throw.

City boss Mark Hughes responded by introducing Benjani and Bojinov for Petrov and Caicedo, on the hour mark.

Bojinov equalised in the 65th minute. Stephen Ireland chipped the ball into the penalty area, Benjani held off two defenders and Bojinov dipped his volleyed home when it broke for him.

Pavlyuchenko stabbed an effort horribly wide and was then taken off and headed straight down the tunnel, with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp appearing unimpressed with the Russian.

Spurs were awarded their penalty when Richards held Fraizer Campbell, with Keane tucking away the spot-kick.

Benjani missed a sitter for City in the dying moments.

Man United 2-0 Man City

After admitting this morning that his future almost certainly lies away from Old Trafford, Tevez drilled home a superb first-half shot before racing away to celebrate, alone, in a very pointed manner, right in front of his manager.

Not only was the goal a perfect way for the South American to express his frustration at a move that now looks destined not to happen, it also snatched at the straw Liverpool were clutching at, with United knowing another win at Wigan on Wednesday will virtually clinch a record-equalling 18th championship.

The Tevez situation is somewhat complicated, far more than just whether Ferguson thinks he is any good.

Strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez helped Manchester United move to within four points of another title.

After all, any United player deciding the eve of a crucial game on the title run-in was a good time to air public views on his future, or lack of it, would normally be good enough reason for Ferguson to exclude him altogether.

Tevez though is a crowd favourite and a player of extreme talent.

So, with Wayne Rooney needing a rest, the South American must have been one of the first names on the home team sheet as United searched for the first three of the seven points required to clinch the title before Liverpool next play.

The United fans have made their feelings perfectly clear for a long time now, bellowing 'Sign him up' at regular intervals.

However, it has to be asked whether, in the present economic climate, £30 million can be justified on a player like Tevez, a bustling, energetic whizzball of a striker, yet one who does not possess the extra class of a Ronaldo.

Yet, having declared the likelihood of him leaving, confirming in the process that United had not so much as made him an offer to stay, Tevez had clearly decided this was the day to make a statement.

The former West Ham star had already curled a shot against the post when he collected Dimitar Berbatov's short pass a minute before the break.

He took aim and fired, gleefully watching his shot crash into Shay Given's net off the Irishman's left-hand post.

Tevez's reaction was instant. He raced straight to the halfway line, directly in front of the dug-outs, waving away all team-mates, and stood, cupping his hands to his ears listening to the cacophony of noise.

Directly opposite, Ferguson celebrated too, a rueful smile spreading across his face. Above him, chief executive David Gill looked down, knowing he will be the one who has to ask for - and then write - the cheque should the Glazer family agree Tevez's registration should be extracted from Kia Joorabchian.

At that precise moment, an 18th league championship had almost been forgotten.

As Ronaldo had already found the net with one of his blockbuster free-kicks though, United fans spent half-time knowing they were taking a significant step towards it, Liverpool's hopes evaporating on the back of a City side who played good football without threatening the home goal.

Mark Hughes knows all too well the standards United have been performing to for almost two decades now.

Hughes does seem to have got the balance of his own team right. But there is clearly still a very long way to go before they can compete for anything more than scraps off the world champions' table.

Indeed, if Tevez's prodding goes unheeded by United, it is a fair bet the Welshman was listening too as he assessed the next move forward for his club, who still harbour hopes of a place in the new Europa League.

Ronaldo's 26th goal of the season was a corker. Only 30 yards this time the distance as the Portugal superstar belted home his 18th-minute opener.

His delight did not last that long as, on the hour, he was replaced by Wayne Rooney.

The decision did not go down well. Ronaldo's future has also been the subject of intense speculation of course and he angrily swiped at some TV equipment before taking a seat in the dug-out, shaking his head in clear annoyance at the decision even though, injury permitting, he is certain to face Barcelona later this month.

A further problem arose for Ferguson in an apparent hamstring injury suffered by Jonny Evans, who was only called into battle himself when Rio Ferdinand suffered a calf injury in training yesterday.

Man City 1 - 0 Sunderland

Sunderland remain in the thick of the desperate struggle to escape relegation from the Barclays Premier League after the bravery of their 10 men went unrewarded in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Micah Richards' second-half header proved enough, with goalkeeper Marton Fulop preventing City increasing their advantage with a string of fine saves near the end in addition to a Robinho penalty save.

But try as Sunderland might, they were always in trouble once George McCartney had been red carded for a professional foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips after just 15 minutes.

And, just three points above local rivals Newcastle, who occupy that nightmare spot of third bottom, the Black Cats are certainly in need of some good fortune.

The dogfight at the bottom has been so tight for so long, Sunderland have always felt they were in the thick of it.

Nevertheless, they adopted a refreshingly offensive approach, based around the tireless work of Kenwyne Jones, hoping to profit from an injury-hit City side lacking Stephen Ireland and Wayne Bridge.

Just to reinforce the feeling of change, Valeri Bojinov was also included in a Blues starting line-up for the first time since August 2007, the intervening period filled with injury and misery for the Bulgarian, once the youngest foreigner ever to star in Serie A.

Bojinov made a pleasing contribution in an open encounter before the whole dynamic of the game was changed in a mad three-minute spell as the quarter of an hour mark was reached.

Wright-Phillips had definitely got in front of McCartney in the chase to reach Elano's through ball. There was little doubt either the England winger would have been clean through.

Of more debate, certainly as far as Sunderland were concerned was the strength of the contact that forced Wright-Phillips to pull up as Fulop came to collect.

Referee Steve Tanner felt it was enough to merit a foul. It took assistant Mo Matadar to confirm the need for a red card.

Although Bojinov curled the free-kick over, City were presented with an even better opportunity to exploit their extra man on their next attack when Steed Malbranque upended Micah Richards, who had burst forward on the overlap.

For a player of Robinho's class, confidence should not be a problem in such situations.

But his trademark shuffle as he strode up, put doubt only in his mind. The shot that followed was weak and Fulop, a conclusive winner of that mind-game battle, made the easiest of saves.

After such a frenzy of incident, the game took a bit of time to draw breath. Yet Sunderland were not content just to sit back and soak up pressure.

If Jones' admirable industry had been matched by a bit more precision from his team-mates, the Black Cats might have presented their hosts with a stern examination.

Instead, City carried most of the attacking threat even if, aside from Robinho's penalty, they created nothing better against 10 men than they had done when Wright-Phillips had ended a splendid one touch move by lobbing narrowly wide when Sunderland still had the full compliment on the field.

The onus was clearly on the hosts to attack and Richards decided it was time to take centre stage.

Good enough to become the youngest defender in England history and win 11 caps during Steve McClaren's ill-fated reign, Richards has lost his way over the past 18 months, so much so that thoughts of going to a World Cup under Fabio Capello seem pretty remote.

But the defender is still only 20 and now slotted back into the right-back position McClaren used to favour, the youngster roared forward with gusto, as if Sunderland were the team to take all his frustration out on.

Opportunities created for Wright-Phillips and Elano were both squandered - the former woefully, the latter agonisingly as a delicate flick rolled wide - so it was just as well Richards had found the net himself, rising to guide Elano's free-kick over the line just before Robinho could prod home.

It was his first goal for two-and-a-half seasons and only the third of a career that was launched with an 'F-word reaction' to a last minute FA Cup equaliser in only his fourth game at Aston Villa in February 2006.

Unfortunately for Richards, his day ended early as he limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, which cast a cloud on an otherwise impressive day.

Man City's Wright-Phillips handed three-game ban

Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has been suspended for three league games after being found guilty of violent conduct by the Football Association, the club have announced.

The 27-year-old was charged after an incident that saw Stoke City's Rory Delap sent off during City's 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium on January 31.

Referee Martin Atkinson did not see all of the altercation but, after watching video footage, informed the FA he would have shown Wright-Phillips a red card for violent conduct had he spotted the incident.

Wright-Phillips will therefore miss City's next three Premier League matches - all away from home - at Portsmouth on Saturday, against Liverpool on February 22 and at West Ham on March 1.

He will, however, be available for the two-legged UEFA Cup last-32 encounter with FC Copenhagen later this month.

Robinho: I Am As Good As Ronaldo

Robinho recently claimed that he couldn’t have fulfilled his potential if he had remained with Real Madrid beyond last summer, when he became tired of his fringe status and made a mega-money move to newly-rich Manchester City.

He’s impressed in England thus far, despite some fitness worries, but it is widely considered that he has a long way to go before he can be placed alongside world football’s elite players, just as City are still struggling despite their huge investments.

Regardless, the Brazilian has got his sights on Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who also happens to be a United star and Mancunian counterpart.

"With respect to Cristiano, it is unacceptable that they wanted to use me in negotiations," he seethed previously, referring to Madrid’s botched pursuit of the Portuguese powerhouse.

Now that they share the Premier League, though, Robinho is keen to knock the winger off his pedestal.

"Cristiano is an excellent player and he deserves to have won the Ballon D’Or and FIFA World Player awards," the Brazilian admitted to the Daily Mirror. "But I am neither better nor worse than him.

"Cristiano has his style and I have mine. I don’t like making comparisons, because I focus on playing football. It is up to others to judge who is better."

"Still, in Manchester I can fulfil my dream of being the best."

Man City keeper Given fires parting shot at Newcastle

Shay Given has said he deserved better from former club Newcastle United following his transfer to Manchester City.

The Ireland keeper moved to City last week and should make his debut at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday after a transfer saga which dragged on throughout January with Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear saying the club would not let Given go.

"I felt Newcastle could have dealt with it a little bit better to be honest but I am delighted to be here now. It is a great opportunity for me," Given told Sky Sports News on Thursday.

"I just felt after being there nearly 12 years and the service I gave the club, the regime could have looked after the whole thing a little bit better and they made me do things I didn’t want to do in the end.

"It is nearly 12 years of my life. It is a long time and I would like to thank the supporters and fans. The support they have given me over the years has been absolutely phenomenal."

Given said he was not certain he would leave but eventually thought he had more chance of silverware elsewhere.

"The last six months it’s been fizzling out, it’s not been enjoyable going into training. Maybe it was selfish but I felt I deserved a bit better, than that I could be at a club challenging for honours," he said.

"You have a short career and I didn’t want to finish and regret not taking up this opportunity.

"I’m an ambitious guy and want to do the best I can. I think it’s a lot more stable at City. The manager is there in the interim at Newcastle and the club is up for sale."

Given said he reached rock bottom when Newcastle were thrashed 5-1 at home by Liverpool in December, despite him making a series of great saves in the opening half hour.

"It was probably the low point of my career," he said. "You come off the pitch and I felt like never seeing a football again I was that low." "But this is a new chapter in my life and I am very excited and looking forward to the challenge."

Moyes predicts Jo impact

David Moyes believes Jo can recapture the form that led to his £20million move to Manchester City following his arrival at Everton.

The 21-year-old Brazilian has struggled to live up to his hefty price tag after his big-money arrival from Russian side CSKA Moscow last summer.

But despite his patchy form at City, Toffees boss Moyes believes the short-term move to Goodison Park could kick-start his career in England.

"We looked at him last year but we weren't sure it was the right thing for us to pursue in the end," he told the club's official website.

"The truth is that it hasn't worked for him at Manchester City and there could be a couple of reasons for that, such as it takes time for some foreign boys to settle in.

"He might also have found the Premier League a bit of a struggle, but we're happy to give him a chance and it would be great if he could show the form he did in Russia.

"The players we have got here will make it easy for him to settle and he will have the support of everyone to ensure he gets back to his best.

"The early signs are encouraging. It's never easy on your first day at any new club and we have only had a brief chance to look at him on the training ground.

"It's going to take a bit of time to get ready for what we want from him. Maybe he needs to find some confidence and self-belief again.

"We are not too desperate at this minute, He can work himself up so he'll be ready when he gets his opportunity and then show us what he can do."