Aston Villa player ratings as 2-1 win at Manchester City confirms fourth place

Turned out nice again.

Talk about ending the season on a high. Manchester City has been a hard place to go over the past decade but 2025/26 bowed out in style.

Aston Villa made eight changes from the Premier League win over Liverpool that confirmed their spot in next season’s Champions League but had the desire to dig deep and pull off a fine 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium. They finalised a fourth-placed finish in the process.

Ollie Watkins scored both of Villa’s goals, ultimately closing the Champions League door on AFC Bournemouth by keeping Liverpool in fifth place, as they would have done regardless of Phil Foden’s late disallowed goal.

You’ve got to respect Unai Emery and his players for having enough left in the tank to achieve a result like this.

Here are the ratings:

Marco Bizot - 7

Stood up well and got his technique right to block Bernardo Silva’s near-post shot inside the first 12 minutes. Made a fantastic save from Tijjani Reijnders just before the break.

Andrés García - 3

Savinho was willing to face him up at every opportunity, promising a tough afternoon. Didn’t have the acceleration to keep pace with the Brazilian over short distances. Slightly lazy header from a corner to inadvertently tee up the opening goal and wobbled subsequently. Substituted at half time.

Victor Lindelöf - 7

Returned to centre-back, where his defensive instincts came in handy on the cover. Comfortable with the ball throughout and more than capable of a mid-range pass to break the lines. Substituted in the middle of the second half.

Tyrone Mings - 7

Showed patience and ambition on the ball even with City pressing. Cleared the ball from under the nose of Nathan Aké from a corner while being fouled, prompting a ludicrous VAR check for a penalty. Highly competent performance at the back from a top defender.

Ian Maatsen - 6

Gave away a corner with an air clearance after four minutes but his defensive positioning was important in the early part of the game. Occasionally looked a threat going the other way, especially after the break. Tested less after Antoine Semenyo went off.

---

Our Holy Trinity of conclusions for this match will be available tomorrow for paid AVR subscribers. Upgrade now for wraparound match coverage and other features for just £4 per month.

---

Lamare Bogarde - 5

Few touches in the first 30 minutes but looked relatively comfortable dropping a shoulder to beat a man and was mostly effective with his passing. Went off with 20 minutes left.

Douglas Luiz - 6

Played a calm and simple game in midfield but couldn’t find the step up when trying to pass with more aggression. Settled really nicely into possession in the second half and grew in confidence. Substituted with quarter of the game to go.

Leon Bailey - 4

First two involvements characterised by sloppiness but the third was much more impressive. Not enough quality on the ball in key moments for a United Counties League match. Couldn’t do anything to support his full-back facing Savinho.

Decent dead ball delivery for Villa’s equaliser. Smashed the post with 15 minutes left with Watkins waiting for a tap-in.

Ross Barkley - 6

Formed a front two with Watkins out of possession but dropped into midfield looking for the ball on the few occasions when Villa had it. Really came into his own with the ball early in the second half, driving Villa on in transition and looking at his best with space opening up in front of him.

Tremendous pass to claim the assist – kind of – for Watkins’ second.

Emi Buendía - 7

Had to defend a lot on the right and was never shy about getting stuck in against Semenyo. Frequently got the better of him early on but Villa in general wilted after conceding. Led the way with a strong second period with and without the ball, winning it back on the counter-press and making things happen. What a player.

Ollie Watkins - 7

Showed one flash of elite centre-forward play with his back to goal early in the game but Villa couldn’t get him involved at all before half time. Smuggled in Villa’s equaliser from a corner early in the vastly second half, claiming the 20th goal of the season he craved and proving he just needs service and confidence.

Followed up with a stunning second goal to put Villa in front.

Substitutes

Matty Cash (for García, HT) - On at the break and dealt with Savinho by playing on the front foot and nullifying his attacking pace. 6

Youri Tielemans (for Luiz, 73) - Protected and moved the ball nicely during a late cameo. 6

Amadou Onana (for Bogarde, 73) - Won the ball back with a thumping tackle facing his own goal with ten minutes left. 6

Pau Torres (for Lindelöf, 73) - Nearly got himself a late goal at the back post from a free kick. Called into action a few times in stoppage time. 6

John McGinn (for Barkley, 86) - Late substitute. N/A