Manchester City experienced their first defeat in ten matches across all competitions, falling 1-0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday. Matty Cash netted the only goal of the match, leading Villa to their fourth consecutive Premier League victory and leaving City six points behind leaders Arsenal after nine matches played.
Aston Villa, who are unbeaten in their last six league fixtures, now sit just one point below City in the standings. Cash, reflecting on the win, remarked on the team’s diligent work on set-pieces which played a pivotal role in securing the victory. “The last month we’ve been really good. Defensively really good. We’ve just stuck together as a group, and at Villa Park, they’re always behind us,” Cash stated.
The match saw early attempts from both sides, with City’s Tijjani Reijnders having a chance that went over the bar before Villa took the lead in the 19th minute. A corner taken by Emiliano Buendia was met by Cash, who fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, leaving City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma helpless.
City’s star striker Erling Haaland, who had enjoyed a scoring streak prior to this match, nearly equalized just two minutes later, but his attempt was denied by Villa’s keeper, Emiliano Martinez. Villa continued to exert pressure, even after losing Buendia to injury, with multiple attempts to extend their lead.
After halftime, Villa’s defense held firm against City, who created several chances but struggled to find the back of the net. Haaland had a late goal ruled offside, highlighting City’s frustrating day in front of goal.
City captain Bernardo Silva acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, saying, “Our pressing was really bad, we arrived two seconds late to every duel.” He maintained a hopeful outlook, emphasizing the long season ahead, “It’s still a long way to go… we’d love to be at the top but we’re not.”
Looking ahead, Manchester City will face Swansea City in a League Cup match on Wednesday, while Aston Villa prepares for a challenging league fixture against title holders Liverpool on Saturday. Both teams are aiming to maintain their momentum as the highly competitive Premier League season unfolds.