Aston Villa beat Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday (24 October), with Nicolas Jackson scoring twice to end City’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season, City’s match report shows. Enzo Maresca’s side had arrived chasing a club-record eighth straight league win.
Jackson strikes early
Villa led after six minutes. Marc Guéhi took a heavy touch as City tried to play out from the back, John McGinn slipped Jackson in, and the Senegalese striker cut inside Elliot Anderson before beating Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City took over from there. Zion Suzuki dived to his right to keep out an Iliman Ndiaye drive on 14 minutes, then smothered a Rayan Cherki shot on 21 minutes after work from Jérémy Doku on the left. Ndiaye later hit the foot of the post after another run.
Villa stayed dangerous on the break. Rúben Dias needed a sliding tackle on 39 minutes to stop Alysson doubling the lead.
Haaland levels, Jackson replies
Maresca sent on Rico Lewis and Phil Foden at half-time for Guéhi and Cherki, who were both on yellow cards. Seven minutes after the restart, Ndiaye crossed from a worked free kick and Erling Haaland headed in his ninth league goal of the season.
Suzuki then saved from Joško Gvardiol after a Doku pass. On the hour, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye ran down the right and pulled the ball back for Jackson, whose first-time shot from 15 yards went in past Donnarumma’s dive.
Suzuki denied Gvardiol again on 69 minutes, and Haaland and Doku both went close late on.
What it means
It was City’s first league defeat of the season and their fourth straight league loss at Villa Park. Maresca felt City had created enough chances to win. “But we fought, we had chances and they ended up scoring two goals in two transitions. Very efficient,” Dias told City’s website.
City stay top, three points clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
City host Brighton in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday (28 October) at 7.30pm UK time, which is 3.30am on Thursday in Singapore.
