Aston Villa handed Manchester City their sixth defeat in eight Premier League matches with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Villa Park, further deepening the struggles of the reigning champions.
Villa took an early lead through Jhon Duran, who coolly finished after exploiting a sluggish start from Pep Guardiola’s side. The home team continued to outpace and outmuscle City, and their dominance was rewarded when Morgan Rogers doubled the lead midway through the second half. The performances of Duran and Rogers highlighted the energy and physicality Villa displayed, qualities that City notably lacked.
City managed to pull a goal back in stoppage time through Phil Foden, but it was too little, too late to salvage even a point. The defeat exposed City’s frailties once again, leaving them in sixth place in the league standings, overtaken by Unai Emery’s resurgent Villa side, who now sit fifth. For Guardiola, the lingering question remains: how much longer will this troubling slump continue?
