Aston Villa vs Man City final score, highlights and result as Leon Bailey sinks Guardiola's outgunned champions

Dom Farrell

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Aston Villa vs Man City final score, highlights and result as Leon Bailey sinks Guardiola's outgunned champions image

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Leon Bailey’s deflected strike gave Aston Villa a club-record 14th consecutive home win and extended the winless slump for Premier League champions Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side came into the match after draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham — matches they led six times in total. However, the 1-0 scoreline from Villa Park scarcely tells the story of a game in which the treble winners were utterly dominated from start to finish.

Emiliano Martinez made a fabulous double save to deny Erling Haaland in the 11th minute. Those proved to be the only shots City managed in the entire match.

Wave after wave of Villa attacks meant Ederson needed to be in inspired form from early saves to deny Ollie Watkins and Pau Torres onwards.

Aston Villa vs Man City final score

  Fulltime Goalscorers
Aston Villa 1 Bailey '74
Man City 0  

Lineups:

Aston Villa (4-5-1, right to left): 1. Emiliano Martinez (GK) – 4. Ezri Konsa, 3. Diego Carlos, 14. Pau Torres, 12. Lucas Digne – 31. Leon Bailey, 6. Douglas Luiz, 44. Boubacar Kamara, 8. Youri Tielemans, 7. John McGinn – 11. Ollie Watkins

Man City (4-1-4-1, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK) — 2. Kyle Walker, 3. Ruben Dias, 25. Manuel Akanji, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 5. John Stones — 20. Bernardo Silva, 83. Rico Lewis (8. Mateo Kovacic), 19. Julian Alvarez (27. Matheus Nunes), 47. Phil Foden (52. Oscar Bobb) — 9. Erling Haaland.

MORE: What's wrong with Man City? Misfiring Haaland, defensive woes and fatigue hit Premier League and treble defence

The decisive moment came with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining. The relentless Bailey turned near halfway and tore at a backpedalling City. He turned past Josko Gvardiol, left fly from outside the area and the shot spun off Ruben Dias’ boot to leave Ederson helpless.

It means Villa move above City into third behind leaders Arsenal and Liverpool. A late rally from Guardiola’s men completely failed to materialise, with Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz coming closest to a second goal of the night by clattering the post.

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Emery finally gets the better of Guardiola with Villa masterpiece

The game goes in the books as a 1-0 win but it was so, so much more than that. Emery had lost nine of his previous 13 meetings with Guardiola and failed to win any of them. This triumph was more than deserved as Villa took the initiative early on, controlled the play and peppered Ederson’s goal with 22 attempts over the course of the contest.

Villa have won seven out of seven at home this season. This was the first time they did not score three or more goals but it was not for the wont of trying. Emery called for his players to “keep balance” afterwards and dismissed the notion of them being title contenders. If Villa beat Arsenal this weekend at Villa Park, they will be one point behind the Gunners. All the best with keeping a lid on that, Unai.

Midfield muddle catches up with Guardiola

We’re all so well attuned to Pep Guardiola’s shape-shifting nowadays that the City teamsheet didn’t really cause much conversation. John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez have all stepped into midfield areas to do some very nice things for City over the past year. However, there have usually been natural midfielders around them.

With Rodri suspended, this quartet were thrown together in possession whenever City could get hold of the ball during the first half. It ended up being a complete mess, with the visitors unable to assert themselves on Luiz, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemens and the excellent John McGinn.

There is some mitigation. Jack Grealish’s suspension and Jeremy Doku’s weekend injury meant Guardiola was more or less forced to start Bernardo Silva on the right wing due to a lack of other options. However, when you consider City had £120 million worth of specialist central midfielders on the bench as two centre-backs, a right-back and a striker operated in the engine room, this was an unacceptable shambles almost on the level of letting Ilkay Gundogan leave on a free transfer during the summer. 

Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes came on in an attempt to turn the tide. Each have been injured recently and Guardiola likes to give new signing time to get up to speed. But surely this was sink or swim time? Also, as much as Kalvin Phillips’ time at City has not worked out and will end in January if an established international midfielder is at such a low ebb that he is an unused substitute in a match like this, then a lot of that is on the manager.

Guardiola has a small squad by design and we only have to look back a few months to see the incredible benefits of that. However, when Kevin De Bruyne is a long-term injury absentee and other key men are out, that can only be absorbed if the coach trusts the remaining players at his disposal. Tonight suggested that he doesn't and, although City are unlikely to meet a opponent as brilliant as Villa any time soon, this problem will continue to undermine their bid for a fourth successive title until it is resolved.

Aston Villa vs Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime: Absolutely nothing from City as an attacking force. Things will improve once the likes of Rodri, Grealish and Doku return but City were abject. A truly chastening night for Guardiola. Villa were sensational from the first whistle to the last. Bailey is the matchwinner but there were heroes all over the pitch. Luiz and Kamara took hold of midfield early on and never let go. They're up to third - above City - and Emery has his first victory over Guardiola at the 14th time of asking. Thanks for joining us.

90th minute: There'll be five minutes of injury time. City look entirely spent.

87th minute: For reasons best known to himself, Ruben Dias is in the left-win position. He powers a cross in the Martinez holds well with Haaland lurking.

86th minute: Douglas Luiz hits the post!!! That would have sealed it beautifully. Villa work the ball nicely around the edge of the City box, no need to take any chances. But space opens up for Luiz to hit one and it's a gorgeous strike that beats Ederson and clatters off the right upright.

82nd minute: Ooof, Nunes whips in a little devil of a free-kick from the right. Martinez watches it all the way an gratefully hangs on.

80th minute: Haaland wins a free-kick in the City box. He needs to get up into the other one.

78th minute: City need to have their first shot since the 11th minute to get anything from this, but it remains all Villa. Ederson is out to make brilliant save. Bailey takes a whack and needs some treatment. Villa corner.

74th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!! Leon Bailey

There's a huge slice of fortune about this goal but no one can dispute that Villa deserve to be ahead. Bailey turns near halfway and is off. He gets near the edge of the City box and lets fly. The shot takes a wicked deflection off Dias' boot to leave Ederson with no chance.

73rd minute: Kovacic, who has already shown the virtue of having some midfielders in midfield, finds Nunes. His searching cross to the far post has too much on it for Foden. That's the England man's last involvement as he makes way for Bobb.

72nd minute: City's Norway youngster Oscar Bobb is getting some final instructions from Guardiola.

70th minute: Foden's is chested down by Torres, who then launches the Villa counter. Regal stuff. Here's the livewire Bailey, but Akanji is no slouch either and he averts the danger.

68th minute: Alvarez and Lewis make way for City's two most recently recruited midfielders. Can they turn the tide?

67th minute: A bad clearance from Gvardiol. Bailey's resulting shot is deflected behind. Lewis tries to move clear after City defend the corner but he can't get out. Akanji wins a free-kick and some much-needed breathing space. Kovacic and Nunes are coming on.

66th minute: Lots of white shirts back but Villa keep finding space and keep winning second balls. They're suddenly all over City again.

64th minute: Ohhhh, is that Villa's best chance yet? Silva is uncharacteristically careless in front of the defence, McGinn turns inside Dias far too easily but squirts his shot wide. He thinks Ederson got a touch and he might have a point. Either way, he should really have stuck that away.

63rd minute: Inviting cross from Konsa that Ederson collects beautifully. One for the cameras.

62nd minute: Luiz hits a low, flat bobbling corner into the City box and it causes unbridled chaos. Watkins has a shot blocked, Dias leathers a clearance straight up into the sky. The visitors survive.

60th minute: Silva now has license to come infield and dictate the game, with Walker holding width for attacks down the right. It's helping City's cause. Akanji dips away from Watkins, who challenges clumsily and gets a yellow card.

58th minute: Akanji dribbles out away from the City penalty area and mindlessly into traffic. Luiz ends up having a shot into bodies and Ederson mops up.

56th minute: Foden scampers down the left channel and lets fly. Martinez saves. He was offside in any case.

55th minute: Dias shuts the door on McGinn. He's getting through plenty of work. Tielemans responds by brilliantly pressing Walker.

53rd minute: More City possession, nice play down the right but Akanji runs into Silva as he bursts into the box. Lewis pulls Watkins back to stop the counter and that's an obvious yellow card.

51st minute: Alvarez pressures Martinez into giving away a throw-in deep in Villa territory. Gvardiol's pass through to the Argentina star in the next phase of play is just overhit.

50th minute: Dias deals with a searching cross from Digne. It looks like Stones is dropping in as a conventional centre-back alongside him with Akanji in front of the back four.

49th minute: City into one of those long, rumbling spells of possession that's been almost entirely absent from their work tonight. But the attack breaks down when Walker fouls Digne.

46th minute: Off we go again. No changes for either side, which feels like more of a surprise for City. Foden is caught offside early on.

Halftime: Remember those games at Anfield during the early years of Guardiola's City tenure? I can't remember his side getting so relentlessly run over since then as they have been here. A patched up midfield is all at sea and the game is only goalless because Ederson is having a fine game. Martinez also made an incredible double save from Haaland. Those were City's only two shots of the half. Wowzers. See you in a bit.

45th minute+2: Ooohhh, almost a smash and grap from Guardiola's side. Lewis glides through midfield, Silva curls a cross to the back post but a leaping Konsa does enough to put Foden off.

45th minute: GOOOAAA... no. Douglas Luiz heads in but the ball had just run over the byline before Digne crossed. Ederson had just charged from his goal to deny Watkins on the end of a McGinn pass. Two additional minutes for City to endure.

44th minute: Stones into the book for getting the wrong side of McGinn and clambering all over him. Villa have had 12 shots to City's two. Possession is 58% to 42% in the home side's favour.

42nd minute: Tielemans almost in between the City centre-backs. Ederson blooters a clearance out of play. This is absolutely relentless from Villa, who will dearly want a reward for their dominance before the break.

40th minute: Lovely play from Villa, with Luiz getting deep into the City box. He can't get his shot away. Now a panicked clearance from the usually unflappable Silva. Halftime looks a long way away for the champions.

38th minute: Another ball slipped down City's left channel. Gvardiol stands up to Bailey and wins the ball. He's certainly not shirking from the challenge.

34th minute: Walker has caught Digne in the ribs in an aerial challenge. He'll need a minute to get his breath an it's probably a good chance for City to regroup.

32nd minute: Gvardiol makes a mess of playing out. Chance for Villa with Ederson out of his goal but Dias makes the recovery tackle.

31st minute: Digne tears forward once more. City definitely vulnerable down their flanks. Bailey charges in to meet the cross and clatters over.

30th minute: Nice intricate play by City, Akanji releases Alvarez and Torres does well to get the clearance up and over his own bar. Turns out it wouldn't have counted as Alvarez was fractionally offside.

29th minute: Luiz hangs the free-kick under Ederson's crossbar, Konsa gets there first but can only boom his header over.

28th minute: Walker with a slightly desperate foul on Digne. Even though Ederson hasn't been truly tested since early on, it's starting to feel a bit like City are hanging on.

27th minute: Bailey gets the better of Gvardiol again. His cross is overhit, Walker clears. Haaland comes all the way back to help out. He's harrassed by Torres and lumps the ball to halfway where there are no City players. Villa all over this.

26th minute: Watkins jinks in from the left and leaves Walker in his wake. Stones is back to block the shot. All Villa again now. The way they're recycling the ball to launch follow-up attacks is giving City a taste of their own medicine.

24th minute: They work this one short, McGinn catches a shot nicely but that's straight at Ederson. The Villa skipper snaps back into action and wins a free-kick off Alvarez about 35 yards out. Luiz appears to fancy it...

23rd minute: Back come Villa and Ederson pushes over a venomous 25-yarder from Bailey. That was travelling. Digne with the right-wing corner. Akanji clears, Luiz scuffs his shot but it deflects off Walker for another corner.

22nd minute: Stones smoothly into his midfield brief and City have just quietened the crowd a bit. However, the "Barnsley Beckenbauer" has just botched a Cruyff turn and it's a Villa goal-kick. Steady on.

19th minute: Akanji looks to play in Alvarez. Crucial Villa block there. Now a nice deep cross towards Foden, who throws the kitchen sink at a volley and almost misses the ball entirely, much to the amusement of the locals.

16th minute: Watkins runs the channel well but his pass to the onrushing McGinn is slapped at the Scotland favourite far too hard.

15th minute: Dias thinks he's got Alvarez in behind Villa's high line but Martinez's fellow World Cup winner is offside.

13th minute: Bailey spins in behind Gvardiol, who's getting a bit of a going over during the opening stages. Dias clears with Watkins lurking.

11th minute: Incredible double save from Emi Martinez! Whatever Brazil's Ederson can do, Argentina's Martinez can do better. Foden slides a pass through to Haaland, Martinez gets his angles right and gets down sharply. He's back up in a flash and it's just as well as Silva lofts the second ball to Haaland at the back post. The striker's header from point-blank range is kept out.

10th minute: City play patiently through Villa's suffocating press. Lewis seizes upon a slack clearance from Diego Carlos. Some more measured possession and then a throw-in deep in opposition territory for City, but Villa aren't unduly troubled.

8th minute: Villa fans boo a spell of City possession. The fact it's taken them until the eighth minute to have the ball long enough for that to happen is quite something.

7th minute: Haaland gets up to clear the corner at the near post but the danger isn't over. Another fine save from Ederson, pawing Torres' shot away from the top corner. City's goalkeeper was culpable in their draw against Tottenham at the weekend but they should be grateful for him starting this one very well.

6th minute: Torres plays a lovely raking ball to McGinn from the Villa byline. His lofted ball towards Watkins is ignored by the striker because he's offside. But Gvardiol is caught ball watching and Bailey is in, drawing a decent save from Ederson. 

3rd minute: Digne opts against a cross and tries to catch Ederson out, rattling a left-footer into the side netting. It's been a confident start from Villa. City yet to get going.

2nd minute: Calm early possession from Villa. McGinn looks for a first-time pass into Watkins but it's overhit.

1st minute: We're underway. The hosts are defending the Holte End.

2 mins prior to kickoff: The teams are out. It's absolutely bouncing at Villa Park. Hold onto your hats.

15 mins prior to kickoff: John Stones was a revelation last season, roving into midfield from defence to lend City an extra dimension in their treble charge. Stones has the technique and temperament to shine in those areas, but tonight represents a significant challenge. Starting in defence and stepping forward into midfield is different and less frantic than the base of the midfield being your starting position.

John Stones and Erling Haaland
Getty Images

35 mins prior to kickoff: Ezri Konza is filling in at right-back again for Aston Villa. A natural — and incredible accomplished — centre-back, he looked uncomfortable against Bournemouth at the weekend. Grealish and Doku being out feels like a stroke of luck for him, although he's still likely to have to shackle Phil Foden. The England attacker scored his seventh goal of the season against Tottenham but most of his good work this term has come from the right flank or more central areas. How two players effectively doing a favour for their managers get on tonight might well shape the overall outcome.

Phil Foden and Erling Haaland
Getty Images

55 mins prior to kickoff: Here's the Villa side. One change from the weekend, with Kamara back from suspension and Zaniolo dropping to the bench. That probably means a slightly more conservative 4-5-1 from Emery but there's still plenty of powerful midfield running, pace and attacking threat in there. 

1 hour prior to kickoff: The teams are in. Here's the City XI, with Stones and Lewis into midfield to fill the Rodri void. How it looks in front of them, well, we'll have to wait and see. But Silva and Foden on the flanks either side of Haaland with Alvarez behind him feel like a fair bet. Doku hasn't made it and isn't even among the substitutes.

1 hr 20 mins prior to kickoff: Given City's recent defensive frailties and key absences tonight, Villa will certainly fancy their chances. Their home record this season is outstanding. However, there have been a few signs that Unai Emery's men might just be coming off the top of their form. The 2-1 comeback win at Tottenham the weekend before last was a touch fortunate on the balance of play and they needed a last-gasp equaliser from Ollie Watkins to escape from Bournemouth with a 2-2 draw. In between those games, there was a battling 2-1 home win over Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League.

A date at Villa Park against the champions should be all the motivation they need. Villa's domination on their own patch stretches back to last season. Overall they've won 13 in succession at home to equal a 40-year-old club record. If it's still intact after visits from City and Arsenal this week that would be some feat.

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1 hr 40 mins prior to kickoff: As Pep Guardiola told Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and assorted others yesterday, no team has ever won four English top-flight titles in a row. Over recent weeks, City have perhaps started to show why such a feat has been historically impossible. Over the course of dramatic draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, they have let the lead slip six times overall, including equalisers inside the final 10 minutes of each match. Meanwhile, leaders Arsenal notched their latest injury-time winner at Luton last night. Guardiola remains bullish about his team's chances of success, as he has every reason to be, but he needs a response tonight without suspended duo Rodri and Jack Grealish.

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2 hours prior to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Aston Villa vs. Manchester City. Can Villa make it seven wins from seven at home in the Premier League this season or will City end a run of three games without a victory?

Aston Villa vs Man City lineups, team news

Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia remain unavailable for Aston Villa with long-term knee injuries.

Boubacar Kamara returns from suspension in the only change to Villa's weekend XI. Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo is the man to make way.

Aston Villa lineup (4-5-1, right to left): Martinez (GK) – Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne – Bailey, Luiz, Kamara, Tielemans McGinn – Watkins

Midfielders Jack Grealish and Rodri will serve one-match bans for City after being booked during the draw with Tottenham.

Kevin De Bruyne is a long-term absentee and his Belgium team mate Jeremy Doku (thigh) is absent. John Stones is back from his own fitness problems and will fill in for Rodri at the base of the midfield.

Man City lineup (4-1-4-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Walker, Ruben Dias, Akanji Gvardiol — Stones — Silva, Lewis, Alvarez, Foden — Haaland.

Aston Villa vs Man City live stream, TV channel

The Aston Villa vs. Manchester City match from the Premier League kicks off at 8:15 p.m. local time from Villa Park in Birmingham.

Below are the corresponding times, TV channels, and live streams to watch the match in selected regions around the world

IN CANADA: Watch this match in 4k on Fubo Canada (on 4k devices)

  Date Kickoff time TV Streaming
USA Wed Dec. 6 3:15 p.m. ET — Peacock
Canada Wed Dec. 6 3:15 p.m. ET — Fubo Canada
UK Wed Dec. 6 8:15 p.m. GMT — Amazon Prime Video
Australia Thu Dec. 7 6:15 a.m. AEST — Optus Sport

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.