Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City: Hosts end City’s perfect start to Premier League season

Manchester CityThe perfect start to the Premier League season came and ended when they were beaten 2-1 by in-form Aston Villa.

Nicolas Jackson scored either side of an Erling Haaland header to give Unai Emery’s side a memorable win, their first of the campaign, and inflict a first league defeat on City manager Enzo Maresca.

The result opens the door for defending champions Arsenal to move level on points with City if they can beat Everton later today.

For Villa, meanwhile, the result means the West Midlanders move up to sixth and have now won seven of their last nine games in all competitions.

Jackson strikes early

A frantic opening saw Villa break the deadlock after just six minutes when John McGinn pounced on Marc Guehi’s hard touch before finding Jackson.

The Senegalese international carried the ball into the box, skipped past the sliding Elliot Anderson, before firing the ball high into the roof of the net.

The city was stunned. Amid a home crowd at Villa Park, Maresca’s men struggled to establish themselves in the game.

However, the league leaders still managed to carve out chances, the best coming courtesy of their brightest creative spark, Iliman Ndiaye, who rattled the post with a low drive.

Ndiaye had earlier seen a Zion Suzuki effort impressively deflected into the Villa goal, while at the other end Jackson dragged a shot wide.

An electric second half

After an underwhelming first 45, Maresca made two changes at half-time, replacing Guehi and Rayan Cherki with Rico Lewis and Phil Foden, fresh off a hat-trick in midweek.

It took City just eight minutes after the restart to equalise, and it came from a familiar source. From Ndiaye’s free-kick wide, Haaland rose higher to direct a firm header past Suzuki.

The Villa goalkeeper was called into action to prevent City from completing the comeback moments later when he saved well from Josko Gvardiol at close range.

With the visitors on top, Jeremy Doku, who was largely kept quiet by an impressive Matty Cash, bent an effort the wrong side of the post before the visitors punched home on the hour mark.

After a big counter, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye’s first action of the game saw him race down the right before cutting the ball to Jackson, who fired a first-time shot that curled under Gianluigi Donnarumma, who perhaps should have done better.

It was the decisive moment of the match. Villa saw out the game to become the first team to take points off City in the league this season.

Premier League table

Upcoming matches between Aston Villa and Manchester City