Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini says his side had to be patient after failing to break the Aston Villa defence in the first half of the game.
The Citizens went on to score four goals in the second half against Remi Garde's struggling side as they moved closer to the top of the table.
They face Norwich City away from home next week before hosting Manchester United on March 20.
"It was very important to be patient because we created chances in the first half," Pellegrini is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"We dominated the game, so we just had to make it faster.
"We thought it would be a tough game, but maybe at the start we played a bit below our level, but we made the changes we needed to.
"I think the other teams will lose a lot of points, because it is a very close season. In the last six games the pressure will be on all the teams, so we have to carry on playing this way.
"Our experience is very important, we are used to handling pressure at the end of the season. I am sure other teams will start losing points because of the pressure."
