Aston Villa stunned Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday, deepening the struggles of Pep Guardiola’s side, who have now lost nine of their last 12 matches. Despite a late goal from Phil Foden, Villa held on for a crucial win that lifts them to fifth in the Premier League, just ahead of City, who continue to falter.
The match started with early pressure from Villa, who came close to taking the lead inside the first 20 seconds.
A defensive mishap from City’s Josko Gvardiol allowed Villa’s John McGinn to win the ball, setting up Jhon Duran for a shot that was expertly saved by City’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Villa would go on to dominate the early stages, with Ortega denying Pau Torres from a corner shortly after.
After surviving those early scares, City began to settle into the game, holding onto possession for the majority of the first half, but failing to create significant chances. Instead, Villa took the lead in the 24th minute, following a brilliant team move.
Youri Tielemans played a perfectly weighted pass to Morgan Rogers, who cut through the City defense before laying the ball off to Duran. The Colombian forward made no mistake, scoring his seventh Premier League goal of the season.
Despite some threatening moments from City, including a long-range shot from Foden and a missed header from Gvardiol, Villa’s defense held firm. Guardiola made six changes to his starting lineup after the team’s disappointing loss to Manchester United, but the reshaped City side struggled to make an impact.
The second half saw Villa continue to create chances. Matty Cash had an attempt that went into the side netting, and Rogers struck the post shortly before Villa doubled their lead in the 65th minute. A precise pass from McGinn found Rogers, who calmly finished past Ortega to put Villa 2-0 up.
City’s response was slow and ineffective, with Villa’s defense staying resolute. It wasn’t until stoppage time that Foden found the back of the net, scoring his first Premier League goal of the season to give City a faint hope. However, it proved to be too late for Guardiola’s team, as Villa held on to secure the victory.
The win marks a significant moment for Unai Emery’s Villa, who have been inconsistent this season but now find themselves just outside the top four. In contrast, Guardiola’s men continue to struggle, with their once-feared dominance now a distant memory.
AFP
