Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City: 5 Hits and Flops as Emery's side continue dream run | Premier League 2023-24

Leon Bailey's deflected strike in the second half made the difference as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Premier League on Wednesday, December 6.

Aston Villa have exceeded expectations with a brilliant start to their Premier League campaign, finding themselves in the top four. Unai Emery made a single change from the side that drew with Bournemouth last time out, welcoming Boubacar Kamara back from suspension.

Manchester City, meanwhile, were without a win in their last three league games. They lost their position at the top of the table and were looking to regroup after an enthralling 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. City lost Jeremy Doku to injury and Rodri and Jack Grealish to suspension, with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva starting in the wide positions.

It was the hosts that dominated the first half, forcing Ederson to make multiple stops. Villa had 13 shots in the first half alone as the visitors found themselves under immense pressure. They also had a goal disallowed by VAR after Douglas Luiz's effort was chalked off, with the ball deemed to have gone out of play in the build-up.

It was more of the same in the second half as Villa piled on the pressure on a City side struggling to find their footing. It eventually paid off in the 74th minute when Leon Bailey's driving run and subsequent shot deflected off Ruben Dias, completely wrong-footing Ederson to make it 1-0.

Luiz almost made it 2-0 late on, but his long-range effort hit the post. With the win, Villa leapfrogged Manchester City into third place. Guardiola's side are now winless in four league games and find themselves six points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table. Here are five hits and flops from the game

#5 Hit - Aston Villa's defense

Aston Villa's back four put in a strong outing against one of world football's most potent attacks. Manchester City's attackers rarely found themselves in good positions and were unable to create good chances, which led to them facing extended spells of pressure from the hosts.

#4 Flop - Erling Haaland

It was one of the worst performances the Norwegian striker has had under Pep Guardiola. He had just 17 touches, indicative of his inability to influence the game. Haaland was also guilty of missing Manchester City's only notable chances on the night, failing to get past Emi Martinez on two consecutive occasions.

#3 Hit - Douglas Luiz

The midfielder has developed into a formidable player under Unai Emery. Operating in a double pivot alongside Boubacar Kamara, the Brazilian was lively throughout the game. He had a goal chalked off by VAR and hit the post late on. The 25-year-old finished with five shots, one interception, seven recoveries, four chances created and four accurate long balls.

#2 Flop - Manchester City without Rodri

Manchester City look a vastly different side in the absence of Rodri in midfield. The Spaniard picked up his fifth yellow last time out, meaning he was unavailable to feature in Wednesday's clash. Without Rodri, the defending champions were unable to withstand Villa's sustained pressure, finding themselves on the back foot for extended periods. They lost all three games they played without him back in September and October after he received a red card against Nottingham Forest.

#1 Hit - Aston Villa under Unai Emery

Unai Emery's second stint in the Premier League with Aston Villa has been nothing short of remarkable. The Villans find themselves a magnificent third in the table, on the back of an excellent home record which has seen them win their last 14 on the trot. A mouthwatering clash against league leaders Arsenal awaits them next as they look to maintain this strong run.