Micah Richards agrees with Alan Shearer as two Aston Villa stars stand out vs Manchester City
Manchester City were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s team travelled to Villa Park on 26 October and were certainly favourites as they looked to close the gap with table-toppers Arsenal.
However, things didn’t go to plan for the Cityzens as Matty Cash scored for Villa in the 19th minute and the hosts subsequently held on to the lead.
While the Villans showed resilience against the Sky Blues, their defensive work was undoubtedly the most impressive aspect of their game.
Ezri Konsa and Amadou Onana as Aston Villa defence lauded after win vs Manchester City
Villa’s defensive play stood out as Man City put them under pressure in the second half, Alan Shearer says.
Micah Richards agreed with the former Newcastle United striker’s assessment of the game at Villa Park and gave special mention to Ezri Konsa and Amadou Onana.
After a slow start to the season, the Villans find themselves just two points behind the top four, and the win over the Cityzens will certainly give the B6 club a massive boost.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football on 27 October, Shearer said: “That’s a big result for Villa, and they were under the cosh in the second half, but thought they played really well and defended well.”
“Totally agree with Alan. I thought Konsa was superb. I thought Onana in midfield put in some really good tackles when Man City tried to open them up.”
Emery looked like a defeated figure after losing to Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League on 23 October, but the recent win shows that things can change in an instant.
The Lions can’t rest easy, though, with Liverpool their next opponents at Anfield in the Premier League on 1 November.
- Read More: Emery has ‘great’ Villa star to thank for win vs Man City after what Danny Murphy saw on MOTD
Unai Emery set for Premier League redemption at Villa Park
Opta’s supercomputer predicts Villa will finish fifth in the Premier League after beating Man City at home.
Emery was gunning for a Champions League spot last season, but heartbreak against Manchester United on the final day of the 2024-25 season meant that the Villans would finish sixth.
| Aston Villa | Statistics | Man City |
| 47% | Possession | 53% |
| 0.81 | xG | 1.18 |
| 9 | Total shots | 18 |
| 2 | Big chances | 2 |
| 3 | Goalkeeper saves | 2 |
While there were fears around the Spanish manager’s future in B6 after the Lions failed to win any of their opening six matches of the season in all competitions, the tide has turned since.
Villa are considered one of the favourites for the Europa League due to Emery’s record in the competition, and Champions League football could potentially return to Birmingham soon.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247