Aston Villa clinched their fourth successive league win after Matty Cash's strike was enough to secure the three points. It is now their third straight win at home against Manchester City. The Citizens will be disappointed that their nine game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end. Only one point now separates the two sides, with Villa currently in eighth and City in fifth.
Unai Emery's side have matched another record, becoming the first team since Preston in the 1936/37 season, to win four consecutive league games after going winless in their first five.
Aston Villa Performance
Villa started the game on the back foot, with City's press causing them problems when playing out from the back. However, they quickly grew into the game, exploiting the spaces in City's midfield. It was a set-piece routine that broke the deadlock, as a short corner by Buendía was played to Cash on the edge of the box, who then thundered a shot into the corner. This gave Villa a lot of confidence, controlling possession and dictating the tempo of the match.
Come for the goal 🎯 Stay for the celebration 🏌️♂️ pic.twitter.com/NqIN55VYAQ
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 26, 2025
Shortly after the goal, Buendía suffered an injury which will be a concern to Villa after his great performances in recent weeks. In the 30th minute, McGinn had a chance on the edge of the penalty area, with his shot deflecting wide of the post.
The Villans continued to look threatening going forward, but they would have been frustrated that they only went into half-time with a one goal cushion. Unai Emery however, would have been pleased that they only limited City to two shots in the first half.
Early on in the second half, Villa produced another set-piece routine that saw McGinn meet Cash's corner on the volley which was blocked by Dias. The mood around Villa Park then became tense as City began to impose themselves. Despite being pegged back, Villa were defiant in defence. Amadou Onana was at the forefront of a crucial block, followed up by Pau Torres, who miraculously lifted Savinho's shot over the bar.
Ten minutes later, Sancho had two chances to extend the lead. Kamara played a ball in behind Nunes, with Sancho's first effort parried out by Donnarumma straight back into his path, but he couldn't lift his second chance over the keeper.
It was a nervy end to the game, as every defensive challenge, clearance and claim by Martínez was cheered by the home supporters. A disallowed goal in the final minutes of the game led to all Villa fans blowing a sigh of relief as they held on for all three points. Like Emery said it was a performance that epitomised his three year tenure at the club.
The Boss' reaction following our fourth straight league victory 👊 pic.twitter.com/rlEP8zOxA4
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 26, 2025
Manchester City Performance
Whilst Pep Guardiola's side started brightly, with Reijnders having an early shot just miss the crossbar, the game started to pan out like the last two years they have visited Villa Park. Haaland had a 1v1 chance quickly after they conceded, but his tame effort was saved by Martínez. A penalty shout on Gvardiol was waved away by Michael Oliver in the 37th minute, but overall they weren't very threatening.
In the second half, they began to have more of the ball, however, Villa's defensive setup made it difficult for City to play through them. Kamara followed Silva and Rogers dropped deeper to plug the gap creating a 5-4-1 shape that caused City to focus on the wings. Whilst Savinho had his two shots blocked, there were no real clear cut chances until Haaland's disallowed goal in added time.
City supporters will be very disappointed with the lack of quality in the final third, as it seems Haaland is their only goal scoring threat at the moment. Guardiola may need to make some tactical adjustments going forward with their 4-1-4-1 formation being ineffective against Villa.
"They were better than us..."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 26, 2025
Pep Guardiola reflects on Man City's defeat to Aston Villa 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/keXyREBr5h
Looking Ahead
Villa's next match is a trip to Anfield to take on a struggling Liverpool, who have lost their last four league games. Despite their poor form, it will still be another difficult test for Emery's side.
City have a Carabao Cup fixture against Swansea City on Wednesday, which will be a chance for some players returning from injury to get some minutes. It's a competition they have won eight times, but have yet to do so since 2021.
