for Arsenal. Aston Villa In June 2005 Taylor moved to Aston Villa, signing on a four-year deal. He became Villa's second-choice goalkeeper, behind Thomas Sørensen. Taylor recalls being told that he would play if Sørensen was injured or in poor form, but those chances "never materialised. I kept being told I would play this game or that game, and I never did. You get your hopes up, and it's hard to take. Football is a cruel game. People tell you what they think you want to hear." During the 2005–06 season he made just two appearances for the club. He saved Wayne Rooney's penalty in a match against Manchester United on 20 October 2007 during a match in which first-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson was sent off. When Sørensen left, Villa signed Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan at the start of the 2008–09 season. Friedel became the first choice goalkeeper with Guzan second choice and Taylor slipping down to third. This despite generally putting in good performances, when called upon. Taylor's final appearance for Villa was the game against Odense BK in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Cardiff City (loan) In a bid to find first team football, Taylor began to search for a short-term loan deal at a Football League side, entering into talks with League One club Leeds United. However, on 13 March 2009, a last minute offer from Cardiff City prompted Taylor to instead opt for the Championship side on a one-month loan deal, becoming the third goalkeeper to sign on loan at the club during the season, after Tom Heaton and Dimitrios Konstantopoulos. He made his debut for the side two days later in a 1–1 draw with Bristol City. Taylor continued as first choice for Cardiff throughout his first month at the club, despite the return of Tom Heaton from injury, and his loan deal was extended to the end of the season. However, following a 6–0 defeat to Preston North End, Taylor was dropped from the side for the final three games of the season. At the end of the campaign, he returned to Villa Park. Manchester City Taylor signed for Manchester City on a free transfer on 23 June 2009, following the expiration of his contract at Villa. He officially became a Manchester City player on 1 July 2009. Taylor admitted taking advice from Brad Friedel, who had previously worked with manager Mark Hughes