Analysis: Missed opportunity as Haaland blankspublished at 17:30 GMT
17:30 GMT
Shamoon Hafez Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City could have gone top had they won and leaders Arsenal lost to Crystal Palace on Sunday, but results meant they dropped six points behind the Gunners in fourth place.
It was only their third defeat of the campaign, but Pep Guardiola's side will see this as a missed opportunity after defending champions Liverpool were beaten at Brentford on Saturday.
City started brightly but tailed off after conceding, and without the 15-goal Erling Haaland taking his chances, no one else was able to step up and grab the scoring mantle.
The Norway striker failed to score in only his second game for club and country this season and thought he had claimed a dramatic late leveller, only for the offside flag to go up against Omar Marmoush, who crossed low for Haaland to squeeze a finish over the line.
There was concern when he collided heavily with the post following his disallowed effort, and City can ill-afford to have their star man ruled out for any period of time.
Aston Villa 1-0 Man City: What Guardiola and Silva said published at 17:30 GMT
17:30 GMT
Media caption,
Man City performed well but fell short on their finishes - Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola spoke to BBC's Match of the Day after his side were beaten by Aston Villa: "We made more than a good game. We started impressive. But afterwards, we lost when they regained the middle of the park. Second half, we adjusted a little bit and controlled more in the middle.
"We made a lot of chances, but unfortunately, we couldn't score. It was the finishing, but overall, the performance I am happy with.
"We performed really well. After we dropped a little, in general, the second half was much better. In general, our game was good."
On Erling Haaland's fitness after colliding with the post: "You'll have to ask him."
Midfielder Bernardo Silva spoke to Sky Sports: "I would say we played quite well with the ball. Our offensive concepts were quite good. Even if we didn't score, we had chances. We made them defend deep, and they struggled in some moments. On the other side of the game, we were really bad defensively. Our pressing was really bad; we arrived two seconds late to every duel. That was the feeling, even though our offensive concepts were quite good, but if the pressing is not good, you allow the game to be a transitional game. When our pressing is not good, we do not play well.
"Obviously, they are a very good team; this is a Champions League team, a team with a lot of quality players. I do believe our defensive concepts were really bad today.
"It's a minor decision, it's not like a penalty or a red card that changed the game. The reality is it should've been a foul. It wasn't, and they scored from the corner. That was a bit frustrating for us, but it's football. These small things are not that important. The referee said he thought it was a corner. People make mistakes, just say sorry and go on to the next one. Don't be arrogant. Like I say, it was not because of that that we lost the game. It was not about the referee today.
"It's still a long way to go. I don't want to draw too many conclusions. We would love to be at the top, but we're not. It's way too early to draw conclusions."
Did you know?
Pep Guardiola has suffered his 50th Premier League defeat in his 351st game, with only Alex Ferguson taking charge of more matches to reach a half-century of losses in the competition (367).
City have lost three of their opening nine games in the Premier League this season (W5 D1), with the Cityzens last suffering more defeats at this stage of a league campaign in 2008-09 (four).
Aston Villa v Man City: Team news published at 13:05 GMT
13:05 GMT
Aston Villa make six changes to the side that suffered a shock 2-1 defeat by Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League on Thursday, with the big guns all returning.
Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash all start.
Jadon Sancho, Evan Guessand, Lamare Bogarde, Ian Maatsen, Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof drop out.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Kamara, Rogers, Buendia, Watkins.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes three alterations to the side that won in Villarreal during the week.
Oscar Bobb gets a start in place for Jeremy Doku, while Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders also come in.
Nico Gonzalez is fit enough for the bench after hobbling off in Spain with a foot issue, while Rico Lewis also drops out.
Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Reijnders, Silva, Foden, Savinho, Bobb, Haaland.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Crystal Palace" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Wolves v Burnley", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v Man Citypublished at 10:29 GMT
10:29 GMT
What a phenomenal player Erling Haaland is.
All the Fantasy Football talk at the start of the season was about Haaland versus Mohamed Salah, and on the FPL podcast I do with Alistair Bruce-Ball and Statman Dave, they both said 'Haaland? No chance' and they went with Salah as captain.
Guess what they are doing now? They have copied me and got Haaland as captain, and so has everyone else. It is dull as anything because everyone in the world has done the same.
We are at the stage now where we just expect him to score, the same as he does. He is like my old Blackburn strike partner Alan Shearer in that you just know it will happen.
In fairness to Manchester City, they are more than just a one-man team. Phil Foden is looking sharp again and I love the signing of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Still, like City, Villa have won their past three league games so this is going to be a tough test for Pep Guardiola's side.
City have lost on their past two visits to Villa Park and, while I don't see them getting turned over this time, they might have to settle for a point.
Aston Villa v Manchester City: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:38 BST 25 October
13:38 BST 25 October
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Manchester City continue their push towards the top of the Premier League table on Sunday against an Aston Villa side who have beaten them on their past two trips to Villa Park.
City may not top the Premier League table but they have won more points than any other side since the start of April (39) and could move level with leaders Arsenal should the Gunners slip up at home to Crystal Palace.
Tuesday's Champions League victory at Villarreal made it seven wins from nine matches (D2) in all competitions for City and central to their surge in form have been the superlative performances of striker Erling Haaland.
The 25-year-old's opening goal on Tuesday was the Norwegian's 24th in just 14 matches for club and country this season.
It followed a double in the 2-0 win against Everton last weekend, which took Haaland to 11 goals in just eight Premier League outings.
It is the third-fastest any Premier League player has reached double figures in a single season - and Haaland himself is responsible for the other two, doing so in five games in 2024-25 and six games in 2022-23.
His record stacks up against the best in Europe this season, while he has also been scoring regularly away from home.
City have scored seven Premier League away goals in total in 2025-26 and Haaland has scored five of those, including at least one in all four fixtures on the road so far.
Only Tottenham Hotspur have prevented Haaland from scoring in the Premier League so far this season and the next side attempting to emulate that feat are Villa.
They are enjoying a resurgent run of Premier League results following a difficult start to this campaign, with three successive wins domestically - although a much-changed line-up were upset by Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League on Thursday.
Should Unai Emery's side see off City, they will become just the second team in top-flight history to fail to win any of their opening five matches and then triumph in the subsequent four, after Preston in 1936.
Villa have won their past two home league games against City, their best run in this fixture at Villa Park since a sequence of five successive victories between 1960 and 1975 - but managing fatigue could be a factor following Thursday's trip to the Netherlands.
Emery must rely on a squad effort to fight on multiple fronts and Emi Buendia has underlined the importance of making an impact from the bench in recent weeks.
The attacking midfielder's winner at Tottenham last Sunday was his third goal in four matches – two of which have come as a substitute in the Premier League.
It continues a remarkable turnaround for Buendia - a £33m signing in June 2021 - in the West Midlands after missing the entirety of 2023-24 because of injury and spending the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old started against Go Ahead Eagles in midweek, meaning he could return to a bench role on Sunday - a ploy that has worked well for Emery in recent weeks.
Guardiola on team fitness, unbeaten run and Aston Villapublished at 13:12 BST 24 October
13:12 BST 24 October
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Aston Villa at Villa Park (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He confirmed no sidelined players will recover in time for this game and he has not yet seen medical staff about Nico Gonzalez, who was forced off midweek with a foot injury.
Defender Abdukodir Khusanov is "close to coming back" but they are not rushing him as it is an "injury in a dangerous part of his body."
On being nine games unbeaten: "We have good momentum but now it's about the consistency. We need to attack more fluently and play better during 95 minutes. We play good but we can play better."
He said Premier League champions Liverpool "will be back", despite the outside narrative that they are in crisis, as it is still too early to judge the season. Guardiola added: "I know all the pundits, specialists and former players know everything that is going to happen after five games but I don't. Hopefully we can be there [competing for the Premier League title]."
On opponents Villa: "My admiration for Unai [Emery] is so high. They are well organised and have quality. [Villa Park] is one of the toughest away games we have in a season."
He said Matheus Nunes "can be an incredible right-back" and "can be one of the best" if he continues to put the work in.
Is Tomahawk on the agenda for Guardiola today?published at 11:58 BST 24 October
11:58 BST 24 October
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Fresh from their Champions League victory in Spain, Manchester City are back in Premier League action on Sunday with a tough trip to Aston Villa.
City are starting to build some momentum, unbeaten in their last nine games, with star striker Erling Haaland continuing to fire.
The Norwegian launched his new YouTube channel this week where he revealed the secrets to his goalscoring form, as well as the enjoyment of having a tomahawk steak on an evening.
Do we reckon Pep Guardiola has had time to watch the first episode? Or does he have other stuff to do with his time?
We'll find out when he faces the cameras this lunchtime.
'Handled it better this time' or 'loyal fans passed over for new money'?published at 11:17 BST 24 October
11:17 BST 24 October
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on the proposed stadium expansion and the introduction of the City Hall bar area in the North Stand, which could force season ticket holders to be relocated.
Here are some of your comments:
Charlie: I think the club gets way too much stick. They've put a load into improving the ground, and all the new bits they're adding show they're actually trying to make it better. People love to say it's all for the tourists, but all that helps us bring in the best players at the end of the day. It looks class, and the new bars are for the premium season ticket lads, which you can't really knock. Different from when they did West. It's not ideal that some fans have to move, but I think the club's handled it better this time. I'm looking forward to seeing it all when it's done.
David: Again, established season ticket holders being asked to move for so-called new fans that only go to matches because of recent success. Where were they 15 years ago? As one of those being asked to move, I remember City saying when we move from Maine Road you would sit with everyone you had made friends with. This is the second time in 15 years I've been asked to move. Seems to be typical of top-flight clubs these days. Loyal fans passed over for new money.
Ian: Four in our family are all affected by this. The email from City says "you will have first choice on any available general admission seat in the Etihad Stadium". Not until the end of the season will we know where these are. Four tickets next to each other on any of the lower tiers seems implausible to me. We have to accept City are a business and increasing revenue is a priority over the feelings of the average fan. Probably won't renew and will watch the games on TV. There are bound to be spare tickets for sale if I do want to take a game as the increased capacity will not sell out.
Steaks and unpasteurised milk - Haaland launches YouTube channelpublished at 17:08 BST 23 October
17:08 BST 23 October
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, @Erling YouTube
Erling Haaland has been described as a "robot" on the pitch but he has shown his human side off it with the launch of his new YouTube, external channel.
The first episode offers behind-the-scenes access into a full day with the Norway striker, from his physiotherapy at home in the morning and visiting a local farm before training in the afternoon.
Stretches at 9am with Manchester City physio Mario Pafundi allows him loosen up for the day and the secrets to scoring all those goals? "Keeping his groins healthy," according to Haaland.
His house his equipped with a gym, sauna and ice bath, which is "good for the mind" as you are "achieving something you don't want to do".
The 25-year-old explains what he believes are the health benefits on having unpasteurised milk and maple syrup in his coffee, while also showcasing his skills on the barbecue.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), however, strongly advises against consuming raw milk if you are in a vulnerable group, as it can cause serious food poisoning.
Haaland said living alone at the age of 16 in Norway meant he had to fend for himself and explains why cooking is a "big part of my life".
Tomahawk steaks and short ribs are his go to on an evening, with partner Isabel revealing he also enjoys "kebabs and slow cooked brisket tacos".
Haaland is clearly feeding well both on and off the pitch.
North Stand redevelopment means relocation of fans - have your saypublished at 16:55 BST 23 October
16:55 BST 23 October
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City have announced that the expansion of Etihad Stadium's North Stand will add more than 7,000 general admission seats and lead to the availability of 4,000 new "Flexi Season Tickets" stadium-wide.
The expanded stand is set to open before the end of the 2025-26 season, but the news hundreds of supporters behind the goal will have to move seats has drawn criticism.
The introduction of the City Hall bar area in the North Stand - described as "a new experience for around 500 fans on matchdays" - may require some supporters to relocate before the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
What do you make of the changes? Are you directly affected? And is the development worth the relocation of fans?
'The toughest stretch of my career- Onuoha on life in 'bomb squad'published at 15:45 BST 23 October
15:45 BST 23 October
Image source, Getty Images
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha says he felt a "sense of helplessness" when he was put into a so-called 'bomb squad' at the club.
Chelsea and Manchester United drew media attention in recent transfer windows for having a number of players training separately and told they do not have a place in the squad.
But this situation is not new, with Onuoha opening up about the difficulties this can bring for a player having had a similar situation under Roberto Mancini at City.
"Looking back, that was the toughest stretch of my career. And that is taking into account things like injury, relegation, all those types of football stresses. But this one was the toughest for me to overcome in some ways," he told BBC World Service Sport's More Than The Score podcast.
"I came through the academy, made my debut for the team, was a ball boy for them, so playing for them was everything for me. I played under a few different managers and everything had been great. It was home, I never thought of leaving – whether that is naive or not, I had never thought about it in those terms.
"What affected me the most was the sense of helplessness that came with it. I found out I was going to be in this group the Saturday before pre-season started on the Monday. I received a text message saying don't come into training on Monday, come in the Saturday and the following Saturday.
"The players that the manager wanted were training Monday through to Friday before flying out on tour on the Saturday. The rest of us were coming in to train with what was a mix of under-16s and under-18s at City.
"From when that message was sent, that was it. There was nothing we could say or we could do. This was your future now."
Ultimately finding his playing time limited and spending a year on loan with Sunderland, then 25-year-old Onuoha moved to Queens Park Rangers permanently in 2012.
"You are just trapped in a position where you are nowhere near doing the thing that you love and the club are saying you need to find an option," he added.
"Someone has made this decision and, until you leave, or for maybe many years to come, you will never know the exact reason why. But, all you will have to do is accept it and that is a tough thing to have to take on board.
"I don't see it changing. For those that go through it, I hope they can find the support for what is probably the toughest time in their career."
'I was thinking about quitting'published at 11:52 BST 23 October
11:52 BST 23 October
Ruth Gregory BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Josko Gvardiol's £77m move to Manchester City from RB Leipzig in August 2023 made him the second-most expensive defender of all time.
But the 23-year-old Croatia international revealed he nearly quit his "dream" career in football when playing for Dinamo Zagreb.
"I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well," the centre-back told BBC Sport's Betty Glover.
Aged 16 and struggling to get game time for Zagreb's youth team, Gvardiol considered avenues away from football.
"I wasn't sure in football any more because when you get to the training ground you don't feel happy any more.
"I was just trying to find other solutions and to feel happier than I felt before because all of my friends were playing basketball."
Gvardiol bided his time and broke into the senior team, winning back-to-back titles with Zagreb and signing off with a league and cup double before sealing his move to the Bundesliga for £16m - a record fee for a Croatian teenager.
He impressed in his two seasons in Germany and after 87 appearances for RB Leipzig, Gvardiol signed a five-year deal at Manchester City in 2023.
Harry Maguire is the only defender in world football to have moved for more money, joining Manchester United from Leicester City for £80m in 2019.
"My dream obviously was to become a professional football player, but I didn't know that I was going to go that far," Gvardiol added.
"If you go five years back and ask me, do you see yourself at Manchester City in 2023, '24, '25? I would say no chance, like really impossible."
Haaland 'the best fox in the box there is'published at 08:57 BST 23 October
08:57 BST 23 October
BBC Sport Champions League pundit and former Manchester United striker Andy Cole praises Erling Haaland's "phenomenal" run of scoring in 12 consecutive games, and believes the "electric" forward needs to be focused on staying in the penalty area.
Media caption,
And watch the best of the action from City's 2-0 victory at Villarreal on Tuesday...
Image source, Getty Images
