City, who have not scored at home in the league since New Year's Day and have done so just 10 times this season, are now perilously close to claiming an unwanted record by 'beating' the 11 scored by Sunderland in front of their own fans in 2003.Villa had no such problems and extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with goals from John Carew and Shaun Maloney, while Joey Barton missed City's spot-kick.
• O'Neill singles out signings
Belgium striker Emile Mpenza was restored to the home side after missing the last two games with a hip injury, while fellow striker Georgios Samaras was also recalled alongside Stephen Ireland.
Pearce's hand was forced by injuries to DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Johnson. Villa boss Martin O'Neill had no such fitness worries but opted to recall Ashley Young in place of Patrik Berger.
The hosts started positively and less than a minute after a round of applause for former City manager Alan Ball, Barton's through-ball made room for Mpenza down the right.
Dietmar Hamann was on hand when the ball squirmed free, but his shot, on the half-volley, went comfortably wide from 20 yards.
Two minutes later the German midfielder could have shot from similar distance, but instead laid the ball to Barton, whose curled effort lacked the power to beat Thomas Sorensen.
Villa hit back with a chance of their own when Gareth Barry headed over from Young's corner, but in the 12th minute City's Darius Vassell had a wonderful chance to score a sixth goal past his former side in as many matches. Instead he shot straight at Sorensen from a wonderful position.
Gabriel Agbonlahor failed to make the former England man pay when he produced an equally wasteful effort at the other end just seconds later.
But the opener soon came when City's concentration faltered the three minutes later. Young showed some nice footwork on the left flank before teeing up a cross for Carew, who left two defenders flat-footed as he rose to power home his header.
Agbonlahor missed another great chance on the half-hour mark and when Sorensen paid too close attention to Vassell on the stroke of half-time, City were handed a lifeline.
The decision marked the former England striker out for some booing from the away end, but when Barton, his side's best player for long spells, stepped up, he blasted high over the crossbar.
The ineffective Nedum Onuoha was sacrificed at the interval for Sun Jihai and the China defender was soon in action, winning a header under pressure from the lively Agbonlahor.
Stephen Ireland curled in a teasing cross for City in the 53rd minute and while Samaras did well to win the ball, his glanced header lacked power and direction.
With an hour gone centre-back Sylvain Distin was the next to try his luck for the hosts, but he could not force a save from Hamann's searching cross.
Agbonlahor exchanged passes with the surging Wilfred Bouma as Villa counter-attacked, but the Dutch defender lofted his finish high and wide.
Mpenza then had a glorious chance, breaking into yards of space before drilling straight at Sorensen when one-one-one with the Dane.
Pearce hauled off a tired-looking Hamann after 68 minutes, giving Trevor Sinclair a chance to change things from the bench, while goalscorer Carew made way for Maloney soon after.
The changes did not change the flow of play, though, with Richard Dunne, Sun and Samaras all losing possession with lazy passes.
Villa eventually took the hint and pressed home their advantage in the 75th minute when Maloney bent a free-kick past Isaksson to ensure the points.
O'Neill singles out signings
Manager Stuart Pearce insisted there was nobody better than him to push
Manchester City forward despite watching his goal-shy side draw another blank as
Aston Villa beat them 2-0 at Eastlands.
Pearce's side have scored just 10 Barclays Premiership goals in front of their
own fans all season and there were also some worrying defensive lapses as first
John Carew and then substitute Shaun Maloney struck for Villa.
Joey Barton, who last week criticised the playing squad and the direction the
club was going in, had a day to forget missing a penalty for City on the cusp of
half-time following a foul on Villa old boy Darius Vassell.
But Pearce is in no fear of losing his job.
He said: 'I'm very confident to be honest, I don't feel there's a better man
out there to do my job.
'I know what constraints I've had to work under for the last two years at
this football club and I know what needs to be done.
'If you're suggesting my job is under threat then nobody has suggested that
to me at board level.
'I actually had a board meeting on Thursday morning and it was very
constructive and pointing in the right direction.
'If the chairman feels another manager is better than I am then I'm behind
the chairman, but he doesn't. He feels I'm the best man for the job.
'I think there's seven or eight managers below me (in the league table) who
will go before me.'
Reacting to reports linking Bolton boss Sam Allardyce with a summer move to
Eastlands, Pearce said: 'I think Sam's a great manager but as I said there's
seven or eight clubs below us who might (target Allardyce) and maybe one or two
above us. That's because he's a very good manager, but he works for Bolton.'
But Pearce did concede his side's inability to score at home - their last goal
at Eastlands was on New Year's Day and Sunderland's record low of 11 goals at
the Stadium of Light is drawing nearer - needs to be addressed.
'At the moment the pressure the team feels under playing at home (is a
worry).
'I know myself from my playing career that sometimes playing at home can be
harder than playing away.
'There's a good nucleus here but we've not found the net enough across the
board and it's something we'll have to address in the summer.
'Like any squad we need to invest. Build on what we've got.'
Villa manager Martin O'Neill was delighted to see some of his own investments
paying dividends in the match with three of his January signings involved in the
goals that gave Villa a seventh game unbeaten.
O'Neill said: 'Carew's done very, very well indeed - although he missed three
games for us and I think we got seven points from nine.
'But he's done very well overall. Ashley Young (who crossed for Carew's
opener) has also done really well and it augurs well for next year.
'Our good start to the season maybe papered over a few deficiencies that we
had, and might still have, so we couldn't wait to strengthen our squad.
'January is a notoriously bad time (to buy) but we had to do something'
'It's very pleasing for Shaun Maloney also. He's been a Celtic lad his whole
life and he's been feeling a bit homesick in recent weeks, but this will do him
good and we'll see more of him next year.' 
Manchester City 0 - 2 Aston Villa
