Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City

Leon Bailey’s second-half strike secured a deserved 1-0 victory over Manchester City as outstanding Aston Villa equalled a club-record 14 successive home league wins in style.

Bailey received the ball and surged towards goal before producing a piece of skill to cut inside and see his shot deflect off the foot of Ruben Dias and beat Ederson, sending a vociferous Villa Park into raptures.

The 74^th-minute winner capped a superb, high-tempo display from Unai Emery’s dominant side which was full of energy, determination and quality, with the hosts enjoying 22 attempts at goal compared to City’s two.

Those two came from Erling Haaland as Emi Martínez produced a stunning double-stop in the first half, while opposite number Ederson saved from Bailey, Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins, with captain John McGinn also going close and Douglas Luiz curling against a post late on.

It ensured Villa matched their record of consecutive home league wins set in 1903 and again in 1930-31, also ending a 15-match winless run against City in all competitions stretching back a decade.

Villa, up to third in the Premier League table, have now tasted defeat just once in their last 13 matches and are one victory shy of equalling a club-record 24 top-flight wins in a calendar year.

Boubacar Kamara returned to Villa’s starting XI having missed Sunday’s 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth due to a one-match suspension.

Otherwise, head coach Emery, taking charge of his 50th match for Villa, named an unchanged line-up for the visit of the reigning champions.

Just one point and one place separated the two teams in the table ahead of the encounter, and it was a raucous Villa Park that greeted the sides at kick-off.

Bailey tested Ederson early on having been found by a superb ball over the top from McGinn, before Torres was next to force the City goalkeeper into action.

Martínez was soon called upon at the other end, making a brilliant double save to deny Haaland, first with a shot across goal and then a header from close range.

Bailey’s 25-yard strike was then tipped over by Ederson amid a lively opening half an hour which saw Villa enjoy nine shots at goal.

The hosts, roared on by the Villa faithful, continued to pose a threat in the final third, Watkins denied by Ederson while Luiz saw his header ruled out, as it remained goalless at the break.

The pace of the clash showed no sign of letting up after the break as Villa continued to push forward at every opportunity in search of the opener.

Inspirational captain McGinn created space before curling narrowly wide just after the hour mark.

But the goal Villa deserved finally came with 16 minutes remaining as Bailey embarked on a run towards the penalty area, cut inside and saw his effort loop past a helpless Ederson – with the Jamaica international celebrating in front of a jubilant Holte End.

Luiz came close to a second when his 20-yard strike came back off the far post, but it was Villa who were left celebrating at the full-time whistle as they leapfrogged City in the table and boss Emery clinched his 50^th Premier League win in memorable fashion.