Darren Bent paid back some of his hefty £24million price tag with the only goal of the game for Villa.

It gave the claret and blues their first Premier League win of 2011 against Manchester City.

The 26-year-old striker had a largely subdued game but was there when it mattered to tap home from close range in the 17th minute, after City goalkeeper Joe Hart could only parry Ashley Young’s shot.

City threw everything at Villa in the second-half but could not find a way past a resilient defence with James Collins and Richard Dunne both superb at the back.

Manager Gerard Houllier made three changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Birmingham, as new signing Bent started in attack in place of John Carew who has joined Stoke on loan.

Carlos Cuellar replaced Kyle Walker, who missed out with a slight back injury, while Ashley Young returned from suspension and replaced Nigel Reo-Coker in midfield in an attacking starting line-up.

City looked dangerous from set pieces in the early stages of the game, but it was new-boy Bent who set the game alight with exactly kind of finish which prompted Houllier to splash the cash.

Young was released by clever pass from Gabby Agbonlahor down the left and his curling effort from the edge of the penalty area was parried by Hart.

But Bent was there in a flash and calmly caressed the ball into the net from close range to give Villa the lead in the 17th minute.

Young almost set up him again in the 30th minute after escaping the attentions of Villa old boy Gareth Barry with a clever drop of the shoulder, but his through-ball was just taken off the toe of Bent by Kolo Toure.

City almost levelled six minutes later when Jerome Boateng’s inch-perfect cross from the right was met by the head of Barry, but his glancing header just went past the post with goalkeeper Brad Friedel beaten

Roberto Mancini’s side continued to enjoy the majority of the possession and looked threatening without really creating a clear opportunity.

By contrast, Villa were dangerous on the break and Young tested Hart with a sweetly-struck shot from 30 yards out, before Stewart Downing drilled in a free-kick from a similar distance which stung the fingers of the City goalkeeper.

There was not let up in the tempo after the half-time interval and Friedel kept out a piledriver from Boateng at his near post in the 50th minute.

A clever Villa passing move culminated in a shooting opportunity for Young, with his low shot from the edge of the box tipped past the post by Hart.

City continued to see the majority of the ball, but it was Villa who seemed to create the better of the chances with lightning-quick moves on the counter attack.

The imposing James Collins brilliantly blocked an acrobatic attempt from Carlos Tevez in the 78th minute and Nigel De Jong’s shot deflected off the sprawling Ciaran Clark and clipped the post eight minutes later.

City piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes and Edin Dzeko should have done better with a header, when David Silva crossed into the box, but the £27million striker failed to hit the target.

Goalkeeper Hart even went into the box for a free-kick in the dying minutes, but Villa survived a late onslaught to claim three points at home for the first time since the 2-1 win over Albion on December 11.