EPL: Aston Villa Stun Manchester City with Historic Win

Matty Cash's stunner hands City first Premier League loss

Aston Villa made history by becoming the second team in top-flight history to bounce back from a five-game winless start with four straight wins, thanks to Matty Cash's first-half goal that handed Manchester City their first Premier League loss since August.

Manchester City thought they'd snatched a late equalizer when Erling Haaland slid the ball home in stoppage time...

Aston Villa made history by becoming just the second team in top-flight history to follow a five-game winless start with four consecutive victories, thanks to Matty Cash's first-half goal that handed Manchester City their first Premier League defeat since August.

Matty Cash scored a stunning 19th-minute strike from distance, firing past City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give Villa the lead. Cash received the ball from Emiliano Buendia's corner and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the bottom right corner.

The Villans' win wasn't without its challenges, as they had to weather a City onslaught in the second half. Despite City's best efforts, including a late goal that was ruled out for offside, Villa's defense held strong to secure a 1-0 victory.

The win moves Aston Villa up to seventh place in the table, just a point behind Manchester City in fourth. Villa's four consecutive wins mark a significant turnaround after failing to win any of their opening five league matches. Manchester City's nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions came to an end with the loss.

A cleverly worked short corner allowed the Poland international to unleash a powerful left-footed shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma, finding the net after shifting the ball away from Bernardo Silva. Erling Haaland had a golden chance to level for City, sprinting into the box, but he couldn't get past Emiliano Martínez, leaving City a goal down.

Emiliano Buendia's early injury forced Aston Villa to make an early substitution, with Jadon Sancho making his first Premier League home appearance in a Villa shirt. Sancho was quickly involved in the action, playing a part in a move that led to John McGinn's deflected shot sailing just wide of the target.

Emiliano Buendia's early injury forced Aston Villa to make an early substitution, with Jadon Sancho making his first Premier League home appearance in a Villa shirt. Sancho was quickly involved in the action, playing a part in a move that led to John McGinn's deflected shot sailing just wide of the target.

A huge win for @AVFCOfficial! 👏 pic.twitter.com/kPkkVCuMBU

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 26, 2025

Manchester City came out strong in the second half, with Savinho testing Villa's defense with two shots that were blocked at the last second. Pep Guardiola introduced fresh substitutes, including Nico Gonzalez, Nico O'Reilly, and Jeremy Doku, in an effort to keep the pressure on Villa. Despite the substitutions, Aston Villa showed their own attacking threat through Jadon Sancho, who created a scoring opportunity but was denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma's saves on both his initial shot and rebound.

Manchester City thought they'd snatched a late equalizer when Erling Haaland slid the ball home in stoppage time, but the assistant's raised flag denied them. The flag proved a welcome reprieve for Villa, securing their third consecutive head-to-head home win.

The victory propelled Villa up to seventh place, just a point shy of City's fourth-place position. For City, the loss marked the end of a nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions.