Aston Villa Stuns Manchester City With Double From Nicolas Jackson
The 2-1 victory ends City's seven-game winning streak and boosts Villa's title challenge as Arsenal looks to close the gap.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the first half to hand Manchester City its first Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa.
The 2-1 result at Villa Park snapped a seven-game winning streak for Manchester City under manager Enzo Maresca. Maresca had previously become the first manager to win his opening seven Premier League matches in charge of a new club. The loss also continues a trend for City, which has dropped points in each of the last four seasons at this venue.
Jackson opened the scoring just six minutes into the match. A heavy touch from Marc Guehi allowed Jackson to receive the ball near the edge of the box. He cut inside defender Elliott Anderson and fired a high shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. City controlled possession for much of the remainder of the first half but found themselves repeatedly blocked by Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, and Abdukodir Khusanov all saw their efforts stopped, and Ndiaye subsequently struck the post.
Erling Haaland equalized for City in the 52nd minute. He powered in a header from a Ndiaye cross, marking his 13th goal in 10 appearances this season. Josko Gvardiol came close to giving City the lead moments later, but Suzuki directed his fierce drive onto the crossbar. Villa regained the lead exactly on the hour mark. Ibrahim Mbaye found space behind the City defense and crossed for Jackson, whose low shot beat Donnarumma for the winner.
The victory marks a sixth win for Villa in seven games across all competitions. The result moves the club into sixth place in the league standings. Unai Emery’s side has maintained momentum despite losing six players who started last season’s Europa League final during the transfer window. New summer signings Jackson, Suzuki, Mbaye, and Johan Manzambi have provided immediate impact after a slow start to the campaign.
The outcome sets up a potential three-way fight at the top of the table. Arsenal can move level with Manchester City on points if it defeats Everton at home later on Saturday. For City, the defeat arrives while the club appeals a guilty verdict on more than 100 charges of breaking financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The appeal could result in heavy sanctions, including relegation, though players showed little sign of that pressure affecting their performance until two defensive errors cost them the match.
