--- title: "Man City v Aston Villa history: Title drama, famous wins and head-to-head record" canonical: "https://readmancity.com/2026/10/22/man-city-aston-villa-history-head-to-head-record-famous-matches/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Gary Gowers" section: "Articles" published: "2026-10-22T06:14:44Z" modified: "2026-10-22T06:14:44Z" --- # Man City v Aston Villa history: Title drama, famous wins and head-to-head record **City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday for the latest meeting in a fixture stretching back more than 125 years, with Enzo Maresca’s side looking to end a run of three successive Premier League defeats at Villa Park.** The 12.30pm meeting comes with [City](https://readmancity.com/) top of the Premier League after winning their opening seven matches of the season. Villa have nevertheless proved increasingly difficult opponents in recent years, winning four of the past six league meetings between the clubs. For City supporters, one meeting stands above the rest: the extraordinary final-day comeback which secured the Premier League title in May 2022. ## The early years City and Aston Villa first met in the First Division in October 1899, during an era in which Villa were one of the dominant forces in English football. The Birmingham club had already won four league titles by the end of that season and added a fifth in 1909/10. The fixture has subsequently been played more than 180 times in competitive football, encompassing league meetings as well as encounters in the FA Cup and League Cup. Villa enjoyed much of the early success before the balance gradually shifted towards City, particularly during the Premier League era. ## Aguero hat-trick in Villa Park rout One of City’s most emphatic victories at Villa Park came in January 2020, when Pep Guardiola’s side won 6-1. Riyad Mahrez scored twice inside the opening 24 minutes before Sergio Aguero added City’s third. Gabriel Jesus made it 4-0 before half-time, with Aguero scoring twice more after the break to complete his hat-trick. It was a landmark afternoon for the Argentine, who became the highest-scoring overseas player in Premier League history at the time and also broke the competition’s record for the most hat-tricks. ## City beat Villa at Wembley The clubs met again less than two months later, this time at Wembley in the 2020 League Cup final. Aguero opened the scoring before Rodri doubled City’s advantage, although Mbwana Samatta pulled one back for Villa before half-time. City held on for a 2-1 victory to lift the trophy for a third successive season. It was City’s seventh League Cup triumph and their fifth in seven seasons, continuing a period of domestic dominance under Guardiola. ## The 2022 title comeback No meeting between the clubs carries greater significance in City’s modern history than 22 May 2022. City began the final day knowing victory at the Etihad Stadium would guarantee the Premier League title ahead of Liverpool, but Matty Cash put Villa in front before Philippe Coutinho made it 2-0 in the 69th minute. Substitute Ilkay Gundogan began the comeback by heading in Raheem Sterling’s cross before Rodri equalised from the edge of the penalty area. Kevin De Bruyne then crossed for Gundogan to score again at the far post, completing a remarkable turnaround. City had gone from 2-0 down to 3-2 ahead in five minutes and 36 seconds. Victory secured their fourth Premier League title in five seasons and left them one point clear of Liverpool. ## Villa turn the tide at Villa Park City had dominated the fixture for much of the previous decade, but Villa’s home record against them has changed significantly in recent seasons. Leon Bailey scored the only goal in a 1-0 Villa victory in December 2023, before Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 at Villa Park in December 2024. Matty Cash then struck in another 1-0 home victory in October 2025. City have therefore lost on each of their past three Premier League visits to Villa Park. Villa also won the most recent meeting between the clubs, beating City 2-1 at the Etihad on the final day of the 2025/26 season. ## Man City v Aston Villa in the Premier League City retain a clear advantage across the Premier League era despite Villa’s recent improvement. | Premier League record | Total | | --- | --- | | Meetings | 52 | | Man City wins | 31 | | Draws | 10 | | Aston Villa wins | 11 | City have won 21 of those matches at home and 10 at Villa Park, while eight of Villa’s 11 victories have come on their own ground. The recent sequence is therefore a significant departure from the longer-term trend, with Villa becoming one of City’s more difficult away assignments. ## Recent Aston Villa v Man City results Villa have won four of the past six Premier League meetings, including three successive games against City at Villa Park. | Date | Fixture | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 24 May 2026 | Man City v Aston Villa | 1-2 | | 26 October 2025 | Aston Villa v Man City | 1-0 | | 22 April 2025 | Man City v Aston Villa | 2-1 | | 21 December 2024 | Aston Villa v Man City | 2-1 | | 3 April 2024 | Man City v Aston Villa | 4-1 | | 6 December 2023 | Aston Villa v Man City | 1-0 | | 12 February 2023 | Man City v Aston Villa | 3-1 | | 3 September 2022 | Aston Villa v Man City | 1-1 | | 22 May 2022 | Man City v Aston Villa | 3-2 | | 1 December 2021 | Aston Villa v Man City | 1-2 | City’s 4-1 victory at the Etihad in April 2024 is their biggest win in the past 10 league meetings, while their last victory at Villa Park came in December 2021. Saturday therefore brings together two contrasting strands of the fixture’s recent history: City’s strong overall Premier League record and Villa’s increasingly impressive results against them. *This page will be updated after future meetings between Manchester City and Aston Villa.* ***For all the latest Manchester City news, injury updates and team news, visit our** [**Man City news page**](https://readmancity.com/news/)**.***