A resilient Aston Villa side clung on for a precious point against top-of-the-league Manchester City in Remi Garde’s first game in charge.
The visitors squandered a host of clear cut chances, particularly in the second-half, but the Villans will feel they deserved a point after a display full of spirit, passion and determination. It is a draw which ends a horrific run of seven straight defeats in the Premier League.
Garde made six changes to the side which slumped to a 3-1 loss at White Hart Lane and many of the summer additions came back into the team as the new Villa boss looks to make his mark in Birmingham.
They passed the ball positively and kept possession well with a new found defensive solidity frustrating the league leaders, although a point blank Raheem Sterling header should have opened the scoring in the second period. Instead, his effort from within the six-yard box cannoned off Brad Guzan’s face and away for a corner.
Both teams struggled in the final-third with Villa’s Jordan Ayew left isolated upfront and City having to make do without a recognised striker once Wilfried Bony had been replaced after 25 minutes with a hamstring injury.
Target man Rudy Gestede was introduced towards the end and his looping effort from a corner was the closest Villa came to stealing all three points.
City then almost nicked it at the death when a Vincent Kompany header struck the crossbar from a corner, before pantomime villain Fabian Delph, on for a 12 minute cameo against his former club, saw his shot trickle harmlessly wide of the goal.
But the hosts held on to stop the rot and provide some much-needed optimism for Villa fans in their bid to escape the drop.
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