Aston Villa vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Leon Bailey nets crucial winner
Aston Villa 1-0 Man City: Unai Emery’s men clinched a close encounter at Villa Park
Aston Villa take on Manchester City in a clash between two sides nearing the top of the Premier League table. Villa have won nine of their 14 league matches under Unai Emery this season and could jump ahead of City if they beat them at Villa Park tonight.
Forward Ollie Watkins has been in great touch scoring eight goals and the hosts will need his clinical touch if they are going to take points away from Pep Guardiola’s side.
Manchester City in contrast are going through something of a slump. A 3-3 draw against Tottenham was their third stalemate in a row meaning City are six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Three points are a must for the reigning champions if they want to keep up the apce with the Gunners.
Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.
Aston Villa’s masterful win proves how vulnerable Manchester City truly are
Even as Aston Villa turned back time to the Great Depression, they have rarely been happier. Unai Emery made club history as he established a belated first in his career. As Villa equalled a club record of 14 straight home league wins, last set in 1930-31, Emery finally beat Pep Guardiola, at the 14th time of asking. In the process, they sent the treble winners down to fourth, Villa leapfrogging them. Emery may try to ignore talk of the Champions League, but no Villa side of the 21st century has looked as capable of securing a top-four finish. Carry on like this and this one could yet challenge for the title.
But for Guardiola and City, these are strange, disconcerting times. The Catalan said he had the feeling they will retain the title, but it is feeling harder for a side on their longest winless run in six-and-a-half years or for one who were outplayed by the upstart challengers from the Midlands. Villa had 22 shots to City’s two, a sign of a startling level of dominance against the champions. A fourth match without victory ended a run of three draws and came with the rare sight of City reeling: they had survived wave after wave of Villa attack but just when it seemed Emery’s statement of intent may still result in a stalemate, the electric Leon Bailey delivered the goal his excellence and ebullience deserved.
Aston Villa’s masterful win proves how vulnerable Manchester City truly are
Aston Villa 1-0 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s team have now gone four league games without a win
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Villa's winning run at home continues as they shine in a 1-0 victory over City. It was a magnificent performance by Emery's man from start to finish, with City not knowing what hit them. Villa had 13 shots alone in the first half, the most against a Guardiola team in Europe's big five leagues, with Ederson having to make big saves to keep his side in it. Martinez also made a brilliant double save to deny Haaland, which were City's only shots in the whole match. It took until the 74th minute for the deadlock to be broken, with Bailey's deflected shot wrongfooting Ederson. Luiz also hit the post late on with a long-range strike. It's a huge win for the Villans as it lifts them above City into third, and they have another big game at home against Arsenal on Saturday. It's now four without a win in the league for City, who are six points off leaders Arsenal. They travel to Luton Town at the weekend. That's all for today, goodbye!
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
FULL-TIME: ASTON VILLA 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
City are getting desperate as their search for an equaliser goes on. Stones put his laces through a clearance and it ends up being a good pass to Bobb. He touches it into Kovacic, who dawdles instead of putting in a cross before tripping over the ball.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
City have only kept one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League matches (14 goals conceded), conceding in all five of their league games since the start of November.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Substitution Oliver George Arthur Watkins Jhon Jader Durán Palacio
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Substitution Lucas Digne Alexandre Moreno Lopera
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
City take the free-kick quickly, with Akanji sliding it through to Dias, who is playing on the left wing at the moment. He whips a cross in, but Martinez stretches to hold onto it.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
OFF THE POST! The space opens up nicely for Luiz on the edge of the box, and he tries his luck from range once more. Ederson is beaten by the curl, but it rattles the far post before bouncing back into play.
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