Matty Cash Strike Seals 1–0 Win For Aston Villa Over Manchester City At Villa Park
Aston Villa stunned Manchester City 1–0 at Villa Park on Sunday, thanks to a brilliant first-half strike from Matty Cash that sealed a memorable Premier League victory for Unai Emery’s men.
The decisive goal came in the 19th minute when Cash fired home from the edge of the box after a clever corner routine from Emiliano Buendía. The full-back’s precise finish proved enough to hand Villa all three points in a tense and fiercely contested match.
Manchester City, who had not suffered a defeat since their 2–1 loss to Brighton in August, struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game. Erling Haaland missed a golden chance to equalize moments after Cash’s opener and later had a late goal disallowed for offside.
Aston Villa defended superbly, with centre-backs Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa standing firm to repel City’s attacks. Emiliano Martínez made a crucial save to deny Haaland in a one-on-one situation, while John McGinn came close to doubling Villa’s lead with a deflected effort on his 200th Premier League appearance.
City showed more urgency after the break, but their attacking moves lacked precision. Tijjani Reijnders dragged a shot wide after a mazy run, and Savinho twice tested Villa’s defence, only for Torres to clear one effort off the line.
Villa nearly added another goal when McGinn’s close-range volley was blocked from a low corner, but the hosts ultimately held firm to secure a fourth consecutive league victory and bounce back from their Europa League loss to Go Ahead Eagles.
The win also extended Villa’s impressive home record — they are now unbeaten in 31 Premier League home games when scoring first since February 2023. It marked their third straight home victory over City in the competition.
Matty Cash, who has now scored twice against City — his joint-best return against any opponent — was once again the hero. The only downside for Villa came when Buendía limped off injured in the first half, despite having provided the assist for the match-winning goal.
The result keeps Villa firmly in the top-four conversation, while City’s title defense takes a dent after a frustrating day in front of goal.
