Aston Villa player ratings as fans mark excellent performance with 8 and 9 scores against Manchester City

Aston Villa bounced back from a Europa League defeat last Thursday in the best way possible, defeating Manchester City at home in the subsequent Premier League match.

Villa supporters submitted their player ratings via our AVF ratings form, which we’ll be inviting you to do via our social media throughout the 2025/26 season.

The process is simple. We’ll share a link at full time to ask fans to give every Villa player a score out of 10 – without a zero because we’re grown-ups and so are you – before adding in my own ratings from Aston Villa Review and taking an average.

These average scores will be used for Power Rankings each month and, ultimately, to crown a Player of the Season.

Villa v Manchester City player ratings

Emiliano Martínez – 8.1

It was a familiar story for Martínez, who didn’t have a great deal to do thanks to the defensive players in front of him but showed up when he was needed.

Matty Cash – 9.2 – Joint MOTM

This, very probably, was Cash’s best performance in a Villa shirt. Excellent defensively under masses of pressure and scored the winning goal to boot. Brilliant.

Ezri Konsa – 8.9

Typically accomplished with and without the ball, and Konsa was also an underrated contributor to Cash’s career all-timer at right-back. Thomas Tuchel must have loved it.

Pau Torres – 8.5

Between Torres, Konsa nad the midfielders, Villa dealt superbly with the best and most in-form striker on the planet. When he wasn’t helping to shackle Erling Haaland, Torres was pinging passes like nobody’s business.

Lucas Digne – 8.5

Digne put in a mammoth shift at left-back and acted as a vital out-ball until he was substituted late in the game. He’ll be feeling that ankle injury today but it’s always worth it for Another One.

Amadou Onana – 9.2 – Joint MOTM

Superb. Just absolutely superb.

Boubacar Kamara – 8.6

Onana and Kamara were the perfect midfield combination for the situation. Next time Villa are in the lead against quality opposition, I know who I want in the middle of the park.

John McGinn – 8.1

Joško Gvardiol will be seeing Villa’s captain in his nightmares for months. McGinn was sent out to make a silly footballer look silly and there was never any doubt he’d be up to that particular task.

Emi Buendía – 7.6

I suspect the vote for 10/10 is due more to mischief than emotion, but even so. Before poor Buendía had to go off with an injury after half an hour, he was beginning to positively influence the match.

Morgan Rogers – 7.7

From the first few minutes, it was clear that Rogers was back at it. His touch was better than it has been all season and he backed his ability to move the ball and open up the game in front of him. Great to see.

Ollie Watkins – 7.2

In truth, I think Watkins is now the one player who is just that little bit short of his usual standards. His influence on Villa’s last two wins shouldn’t be underestimated but there’s a bit of sharpness yet to return.

Substitutes

Jadon Sancho – 6.7

He’s been pilloried after being substituted as a substitute but his sulky reaction was, I think, quite normal. He wasn’t pulled for his performance either, really, so the Manchester United online fanatics gloating about it should perhaps mind their own business.

Evann Guessand – 6.8

Came on with quarter of an hour and put in a huge shift, highlighted by his chasing down a lost cause after Villa cleared a City free kick and earning Phil Foden a yellow card.

Ross Barkley – 7.3

Like Guessand, Barkley came on and did his bit. In his case, coolness on the ball and a couple of through balls that nearly sent Villa clear ultimately helped the team get over the line.

Donyell Malen – 7.1

Malen came on with five minutes and stoppage time remaining and matched the rest of the team for desire.

Ian Maatsen – 6.9

Maatsen, also a late substitute, settled straight into the challenge and was prepared to put in the work to see Villa to an impressive win.

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