The 108th Second City league derby ended in a controversial 1-0 defeat for Blues.
Referee Martin Atkinson awarded Villa an 83rd penalty after Roger Johnson allegedly fouled Gabriel Agbonlahor inside the area. TV replays suggested the centre-half cleanly got the ball but not in the referee's opinion.
James Milner converted the spot kick to give Martin O'Neill's side all three points.
The result was not a true reflection of proceedings at Villa Park. Blues deserved more for their toil and will be disappointed not to have something to show for their endeavour.
Alex McLeish made two changes to the starting XI that drew with Hull last weekend. There was a surprise start for Gregory Vignal, who replaced the injured Scott Dann. The Frenchman operated at left-back with Liam Ridgewell switching to centre-half.
Elsewhere Sebastian Larsson came in for Keith Fahey as Blues opted for a 4-5-1 formation with Cameron Jerome spearheading the attack.
The match marked a first return to Villa Park for Craig Gardner since his cross-city switch in January.
Martin O'Neill named an unchanged starting XI from the side that beat Hull City 2-0 on Wednesday.
The match began at an expected fierce derby pace on an extremely mild spring afternoon in B6. Villa created the first chance of note on four minutes when James Collins' head met Stiliyan Petrov's free-kick but it was a comfortable collect for Joe Hart.
Blues entered Villa territory five minutes later with a delightful neat move. Vignal's clever ball found Lee Bowyer on the half way line. The combative midfielder ran at the Villa defence and released the ball to the on rushing Larsson but the Swede miscued his shot miles wide of Brad Friedel's goal.
The atmosphere was at boiling point at Villa Park as the sun beat down on the pitch. The Blues defence was standing up to the test of the Villa front line and Vignal produced a great block to deny Milner's shot. Alex McLeish's men then went on the counter attack and Vignal again was at the heart of it. The left-back's cross come shot tested the agility of Friedel, who had to scurry backwards to tip the ball over the bar.
The resulting corner saw a goal mouth melee emerge with the ball falling to Bowyer. Yet the midfielder's effort was blocked by the Villa defence. It was real end to end fare with Agbonlahor sprinting the full length of the pitch only to be tracked by Stephen Carr, who defied his 34 years to marvellously to thwart the pacy Erdington-born player.
Shortly before the half hour mark the home side began to take a foot hold of the game and were twice denied taking the lead through the excellence of Hart. First the England World Cup hopeful saved Petrov's fierce shot before parrying Stewart Downing's stinging effort to safety.
The pendulum swung Blues' way next. Larsson almost fired the St. Andrew's men in the lead when he took advantage of Richard Dunne's miscontrol from a Friedel clearance, but his first time effort forced an excellent save from the Villa custodian.
Moments later Gardner, in front of the Holte End and former paymasters, unleashed an excellent shot from 20-yards which Friedel did well to get down to.
On 34 minutes Hart again showed Fabio Capello why he should be on the plane to South Africa. Collins' left foot volley from 10 yards out looked set to put the Villans a goal to the good up but Hart's finger tips pushed the ball over the crossbar to the amazement of Villa Park.
As the fourth official indicated one minute of additional time at the end of the first period, Villa tried in earnest to get that all important first goal but John Carew's header went well wide from Milner's cut back from the touchline.
Blues emerged for the second half pumped up and silenced Villa Park from the off. Barry Ferguson's intricate ball found James McFadden who then fed Jerome. The pacy striker's shot hit the onrushing Friedel in the mid drift. The ball then rebounded to McFadden, the tricky Scotsman jinked inside the penalty area and unleashed a stinging shot across the goal which Friedel turned around the post.
The resulting corner found Ridgewell's head and the ball was agonisingly cleared off the line from Downing. The fantastic start roused the assembled Bluenoses while the natives were getting increasingly restless.
Blues were keeping the claret and blue at bay and on 67 a good football move saw Villa on the back foot. Ferguson's looping ball into the penalty area found Johnson on the touchline. The commanding centre-half headed the ball back into the danger area near a waiting Gardner. His shot was blocked and the loose ball fell to Bowyer. The following shot was blocked and the ball went to safety.
The next chance fell to Villa and Dunne moments later. Milner's high cross was met by the Irishman and luckily the ball went inches over the crossbar from close range.
The first substitution of the afternoon saw Emile Heskey replacing Carew as Villa searched for some fresh impetus upfront.
Next up Blues made a double change on 75 with Fahey replacing Larsson and Stuart Parnaby on for Vignal.
The Holte End was on their feet when they thought Heskey had scored. A mix up at the back saw the substitute clean through on goal but the former Blue clipped shot took a deflection off Hart and goes safely behind for a corner.
Controversy erupted on 83 minutes. Referee Atkinson awarded Villa penalty after Johnson allegedly brought down Agbonlahor inside the penalty area. It looked a harsh decision as TV replays in the press box showed the defender got the ball.
Milner took the resulting penalty and fired Villa into an undeserved lead.
Still Blues did not give up and almost equalised through the head of Parnaby. Deep into stoppage time Fahey's drilled shot from the edge of the penalty area almost restored parity but it was not to be on an unjust afternoon for Blues.
Aston Villa: Brad Friedel; Richard Dunne; Stephen Warnock; James Collins; Carlos Cuellar; Stiliyan Petrov ( C); Stewart Downing; James Milner; Ashley Young; John Carew (Emile Heskey 70); Gabriel Agbonlahor
Unused substitutes: Brad Guzan; Luke Young; Steve Sidwell; Nathan Delfouneso; Nigel Reo-Coker; Habib Beye
Blues: Joe Hart; Stephen Carr (C ); Roger Johnson; Liam Ridgewell; Gregory Vignal (Stuart Parnaby 75); Craig Gardner (Kevin Phillips 86); Barry Ferguson; Lee Bowyer; Sebastian Larsson (Keith Fahey 75); James McFadden; Cameron Jerome
Unused substitutes: Maik Taylor; Teemu Tainio; Michel; Chucho
Bookings: Cuellar; Vignal, Johnson, Carr, Ferguson
