Aston Villa defeated Manchester City by a slender margin of 1-0 in round 9 of the 2025/2026 Premier League.
The result saw Villa close the points gap to just one, leaving City in fifth place.
Meanwhile, the hosts are now in eighth, just behind Liverpool on goal difference.
Villa put in a commendable defensive display, allowing Man City just two shots in the first half and a total of just two big chances in the entire game.
Along with this, both sides had similar numbers for total passes, opposition box touches, and final third entries; this indicates that the hosts showed formidable attacking intent.
Through this tactical analysis, we will examine how the Villans kept Manchester City out, created their chances, and scored the winner in the process.
Aston Villa Vs Manchester City Lineups & Formations
Let us look at how Unai Emery and Pep Guardiola fielded their squads.
Villa vs City lineups
Aston Villa Lineup
Villa played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Emiliano Martínez was in goal, behind a back four of Matty Cash (right-back), Ezri Konsa (right centre-back), Pau Torres (left centre-back), and Lucas Digne (left-back).
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