Manchester City 0 Aston Villa 1: Manchester City’s unbeaten run ends at Villa Park | OneFootball

Manchester City 0

Aston Villa 1 (Matty Cash 19′)

Manchester City have gone down to a 1-nil defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park today. A 19th minute strike from Matty Cash was enough for Unai Emery’s side to pick up all three points and end Manchester City’s nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

When the starting lineups were announced, Nico was on the bench after sustaining a foot injury against Villarreal. Pep Guardiola made three changes to the starting lineup that beat Villarreal. Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, and Tijjani Reijnders returned to the starting lineup for today’s match.

First half

Manchester City began the game looking calm and composed in possession. There was a crispness to City’s possession play to start the game, outside of a Josko Gvardiol misplaced pass. That led to a Villa throw-in, which created a chance for Emiliano Buendia. Buendia flashed a volley from outside the City area over the bar in the second minute. Tijjani Reijnders had Manchester City’s first chance of note when he hit a stinging drive over the bar in the 6th minute. City’s press was looking effective to begin the game as they pressed Aston Villa into error on several occasions to start the game.

After Manchester City’s bright start, Aston Villa began to create openings of their own until the 16th minute. Two crucial and desperate blocks from Oscar Bobb and Matheus Nunes prevented the hosts from getting a shot on target from good positions as Unai Emery’s side began to establish a foothold in the game.

Aston Villa takes the lead after a spell of control.

Unai Emery’s side would take the lead in the 19th minute. A short corner from Luca Digne was played to Emiliano Buendia, who played a ball across the City area to Matty Cash on the edge of the box. Cash checked onto his left foot and unleashed a powerful low drive into the bottom right-hand corner, with Gianluigi Donnarumma flat-footed, who could do little to keep out Cash’s stinging low drive. It was a quality strike, and Aston Villa had upped the ante leading up to the goal.

Erling Haaland would see a shot saved by Emiliano Martinez two minutes later. Haaland was played through by Bernardo Silva, but Haaland’s shot was easily saved by Martinez down low to his right.

John McGinn has a good chance to double Aston Villa’s lead as Manchester City were holding on.

John McGinn should have doubled Aston Villa’s lead on the half-hour mark. A sweeping Villa move saw Ollie Watkins picked out in space on the right wing. His cutback found McGinn on the edge of the area, who had plenty of time to assess his options, and the Villa captain unleashed a low drive with his left foot, which was blocked by John Stones behind for a corner. Unai Emery’s side were looking the better of the two teams, and their pace and ability to play through and over Manchester City’s midfield were giving Pep Guardiola’s side all sorts of issues.

As the game entered the 40th minute, Aston Villa remained the dominant side. Their pace was causing City issues, and Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t establish any flow to their play. Unai Emery’s side deserves credit for the impressive manner of the performance after the opening 10 minutes.

There would be no more incidents of note as the whistle blew for halftime. After Manchester City’s bright opening 10 minutes, Aston Villa were the better team and fully deserved their lead. Manchester City had their work cut out to overturn a 1-nil halftime deficit. Pep Guardiola’s side looked flat and needed a lift from every player on the pitch to get back into the game.

Second half

Manchester City began the second half brightly as Phil Foden saw a shot blocked behind for a corner from a good position inside the Villa area to start the half. Tijjani Reijnders made a surging run from midfield in the 48th minute to the edge of the Villa area, but he scuffed his shot wide. Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias combined to prevent John McGinn from doubling Villa’s lead moments later. McGinn got on the end of a Matty Cash corner, but his goal-bound effort was blocked.

Savinho almost equalised for Manchester City on the hour mark. The Brazilian international hit a stinging drive, which Amadou Onana blocked. He got on the end of the rebound and saw his goal-bound effort blocked on the goal line by Pau Torres. Those were City’s best chances since Erling Haaland’s goal-bound effort in the 21st minute.

Donnarumma denies Jadon Sancho twice to keep City in the game.

Gianluigi Donnarumma would make a superb double save to deny Jadon Sancho in the 70th minute. Sancho got goal side of Matheus Nunes on the left wing and got himself into a dangerous position. The England international hit his first shot at Donnarumma, who saved well, and the rebound fell back to Sancho. Donnarumma would make an even better save to prevent Villa from taking a 2-nil lead.

As the game entered the closing stages, Manchester City were pinning Aston Villa in their own area. But the threat Aston Villa posed on the counter was ever present, so the game was delicately poised entering the final 10 minutes.

Phil Foden saw a goal-bound effort blocked by Amadou Onana in the 82nd minute. The chance came after Nico O’Reilly was played in on the left, and his cutback found Foden near the penalty spot. But Onana bravely blocked Foden’s shot and the chance was gone.

Erling Haaland has the ball in the back of the net but the goal is ruled out.

Manchester City seemingly scored an equaliser in the 89th minute. Omar Marmoush was found in space on the right wing by Matheus Nunes. He cut the ball back from the right for Erling Haaland to force the ball into the back of the net. But Omar Marmoush was offside in the build-up and the goal was ruled out.

Nico would see a powerful shot blocked by Ross Barkley in the 93rd minute. Manchester City pressed Villa into error deep in their own half but determined Aston Villa defending denied City a goal-bound effort once again.

That would be Manchester City’s final chance of the game as the final whistle was greeted with raucous celebrations by the Villa Park crowd. Pep Guardiola’s side would suffer their third consecutive defeat at Villa Park.

First thoughts at the final whistle.

Manchester City got what they deserved today. Aston Villa were the better team in the first half and City were lucky not be more than 1-nil down. In the second half, Pep Guardiola’s side improved their performance but Aston Villa’s resolute and stubborn defending kept City out. This City squad is growing but they remain a work in progress which stood today.