Aston Villa handed a further blow to struggling Manchester City on Saturday, securing a 2-1 victory that heaps more pressure on manager Pep Guardiola, whose team has now lost nine of their last 12 matches.
Jhon Duran gave Villa the lead early with a clinical finish after a well-worked team move, and Morgan Rogers extended the advantage in the 65th minute. Phil Foden pulled one back for City in stoppage time, scoring his first Premier League goal of the season, but it proved too little, too late.
Guardiola, enduring the worst run of his illustrious career, had insisted on Friday that “sooner or later” things would improve, but City’s fear factor appears to have disappeared. The win lifts Unai Emery’s Villa into fifth place in the Premier League, one spot above the faltering champions.
Guardiola made six changes to the side that lost to Manchester United last week, bringing in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and reshaping his defense with Rico Lewis, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji. Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish also returned to the starting XI.
City started the match in disarray and could have been behind in the first 20 seconds. Josko Gvardiol’s sloppy pass allowed John McGinn to steal possession and set up Duran, whose shot was pushed behind by Ortega. Villa almost took the lead from the resulting corner, but Ortega denied Pau Torres with a spectacular save.
Despite dominating possession, with City having more than 75%, the defending champions failed to create meaningful chances. It was Villa, however, who capitalized first. Duran scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season after a brilliant pass from Youri Tielemans set Rogers through on goal. Rogers then squared the ball for Duran, who finished confidently.
City’s best chance in the first half came when Foden tested Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 35th minute after a quick move involving Lewis. Gvardiol squandered a golden opportunity just before the break, heading over a cross from Grealish.
Guardiola made a substitution at halftime, bringing on Kyle Walker for Stones. In the second half, Villa’s Matty Cash almost doubled the lead but fired into the side netting, while Duran had a goal ruled out for offside. Rogers came close again shortly before the hour mark, hitting the post after a slick move down the left.
Villa sealed the win 20 minutes into the second half when Rogers finished a McGinn pass with precision. City struggled to find any rhythm, and despite Foden’s late goal, they never looked like mounting a serious comeback.
The defeat marks another tough chapter for Guardiola’s City as Villa continues to rise under Emery’s guidance.
