Manchester City v Aston Villa

Villa were already a dominant force when City were still finding their name.

Manchester City, then known as Ardwick, had been elected to the Football League's Second Division in 1892 before reforming as Manchester City in 1894. Aston Villa were already established as one of English football's dominant forces, having won the league title in 1894. Their early meetings set the tone for a fixture between a Midlands aristocrat and a northern club with grand ambitions.

City's first silverware in 1904 closed the gap on a Villa side already five cups deep.

Manchester City claimed their first major trophy with a 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Bolton Wanderers in 1904. Aston Villa had already won the Cup five times by this point, including the famous Double in 1897. But City's arrival as a cup-winning side signalled a shift. The fixture between the two clubs was no longer a meeting of unequals.

Champions one season, relegated the next; City somehow scored more goals than anyone and still went down.

Manchester City won the First Division title in 1936-37, only to be relegated the following season despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division. It remains one of football's most bewildering statistical oddities. Villa, meanwhile, were enduring their own struggles, having been relegated for the first time in 1936. For a spell in the late 1930s, both clubs found themselves outside the top flight.

Villa lifted the European Cup just a year after the league title; City, meanwhile, were sliding towards the third tier.

Aston Villa won the First Division title in 1980-81 under Ron Saunders, then followed it with the European Cup in 1982, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in Rotterdam. It was a period of extraordinary achievement for the club. City, by contrast, were entering a long decline that would eventually see them drop to the third tier of English football. The fixture's balance of power had tilted firmly towards Villa Park.

Penalties at Wembley pulled City back from the third tier; Villa, meanwhile, were in a different universe entirely.

In 1998-99, Manchester City found themselves in the third tier of English football for the first and only time. A dramatic play-off final at Wembley against Gillingham, won on penalties after a last-gasp equaliser, began the long climb back. Villa were a settled Premier League side throughout the 1990s, regularly finishing in the top half. The two clubs were, for a time, in entirely different worlds.

Robinho's arrival from Real Madrid on deadline day said everything about what Sheikh Mansour's billions meant for English football.

Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group completed their takeover of Manchester City in September 2008, and the landscape of English football changed permanently. The signing of Robinho from Real Madrid on deadline day announced the new era in unmistakable fashion. Villa, under Martin O'Neill, were themselves enjoying a strong spell, finishing sixth three seasons running. But the financial gulf was about to become a chasm.

Ninety-four minutes in, forty-four years of waiting ended.

On the final day of the 2011-12 season, Sergio Agüero scored in the 94th minute against Queens Park Rangers to win Manchester City their first league title in 44 years. It remains arguably the most dramatic moment in Premier League history. Villa, by contrast, had narrowly avoided relegation that same season, finishing 16th. The two clubs' trajectories could not have been more different.

Guardiola's City claimed the domestic treble in 2018-19, pipping Liverpool by a single point with 98.

Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City completed an unprecedented domestic treble in 2018-19, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. They amassed 98 points to pip Liverpool by a single point. Villa, meanwhile, returned to the Premier League that same season via the play-offs, beating Derby County at Wembley. The fixture was back on the calendar after a three-year absence.

City's continental treble made them only the second English club to conquer Europe, the league, and the cup in a single season.

Manchester City became only the second English club to win the continental treble in 2022-23, adding the Champions League to the Premier League and FA Cup. Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, finished seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League, their first European campaign since 2010. Both clubs were ascending, albeit on very different scales. The following season, Villa went one better, finishing fourth to qualify for the Champions League.

Villa are contenders again; City remain the measure of all things.

The fixture between Manchester City and Aston Villa now carries a weight it hasn't had for decades. Villa's resurgence under Emery, backed by the investment of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, has made them genuine contenders for European places. City, despite the upheaval of a difficult 2024-25 season, remain the benchmark. At the Etihad, with its 53,000 capacity and world-class hospitality, this is a Premier League fixture that rewards close attention.