Manchester City’s unbeaten run ended at Villa Park on Sunday after Matty Cash’s first-half strike handed Aston Villa a 1-0 victory.
Pep Guardiola’s men, unbeaten in nine matches before kickoff, were undone in the 19th minute when Cash cut inside from the right and drilled home from 20 yards. City’s attack lacked fluency, with Erling Haaland unusually subdued and unable to find the net.
Savinho came closest to levelling, but Pau Torres’ last-ditch deflection denied him. Haaland later saw a goal ruled out for offside as Villa defended resolutely to secure all three points.
The result leaves City level on points with Manchester United and six adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table.
Manchester City Player Ratings:
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 5: Beaten by Cash’s strike. Saved well from Sancho.
Matheus Nunes – 4: Out of position at full-back. Struggled defensively.
Ruben Dias – 5: Worked hard but exposed by Villa’s press.
John Stones – 4: Failed to control midfield. Caught out by Watkins’ runs.
Josko Gvardiol – 5: Advanced well but left gaps behind.
Tijjani Reijnders – 5: Energetic but wasteful in key moments.
Phil Foden – 5: Couldn’t find rhythm or space to influence play.
Bernardo Silva – 4: Faded after a bright start.
Savinho – 5: Energetic but lacked end product.
Oscar Bobb – 4: Anonymous for long spells.
Erling Haaland – 4: Quiet throughout. One tame effort on target.
Substitutes:
Jeremy Doku – 5: Added pace but no final ball.
Nico Gonzalez – 4: Booked and erratic.
Nico O’Reilly – 5: Solid defensively.
Rayan Cherki – 5: Minimal impact.
Omar Marmoush – N/A: Offside for disallowed goal.
Manager:
Pep Guardiola – 5: Tactical gamble didn’t pay off. City lacked spark.