Aston Villa triumphed over struggling Manchester City with a 2-1 victory at Villa Park on Saturday, adding to the mounting woes of Pep Guardiola, who is enduring the worst run of his illustrious managerial career with nine defeats in 12 matches.
The win, propelled by Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers’ clinical finishes, lifts Villa to fifth place in the Premier League table, one spot above City, whose season is rapidly unraveling.
Villa started the game on the front foot, nearly taking the lead in the opening seconds when John McGinn capitalized on a defensive lapse by Josko Gvardiol, but City’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega pulled off a save to deny them.
Shortly after, Pau Torres was inches away from scoring from a corner, with Ortega again producing a brilliant save. Despite City dominating possession—peaking at 75% in the first half—it was Villa who struck first.
In the 15th minute, Youri Tielemans delivered a brilliant defense-splitting pass to Morgan Rogers, who burst past City’s backline before squaring the ball to Jhon Duran.
The Colombian calmly slotted it into the net for his seventh goal of the season. City tried to respond with efforts from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, but Emiliano Martinez, Villa’s goalkeeper, stood firm.
City’s best chance of the first half came when Jack Grealish sent in a cross, but Gvardiol headed it over the bar.
Guardiola made tactical adjustments at halftime, bringing on Kyle Walker for John Stones, but the defending champions continued to struggle to break Villa’s disciplined defense.
Villa doubled their lead in the 65th minute when Rogers capped off a swift counter-attack.
Receiving a precise pass from McGinn, the young midfielder fired a composed finish past Ortega to give Villa a 2-0 advantage.
Moments earlier, Rogers had struck the post after another intricate move, showcasing Villa’s attacking sharpness under Unai Emery.
City’s desperation to salvage the game grew as time ticked away. Their efforts were rewarded in stoppage time when Foden pounced on a loose ball to score his first Premier League goal of the season.
However, it was too little, too late, as Villa held on for a well-deserved victory.
Guardiola’s experimental lineup, which featured six changes from the Manchester derby defeat, including Ortega in goal and Rico Lewis in defense, failed to deliver results.
City’s lack of creativity and defensive vulnerabilities were glaring throughout the match, raising concerns about their ability to bounce back.
For Villa, the victory was a testament to Emery’s tactical acumen and the team’s collective effort. With Duran and Rogers in fine form, they sent a clear message of their ambitions to compete for European football.
Meanwhile, Guardiola faces mounting pressure to turn things around, with City’s aura of invincibility fading rapidly.
