Manchester City’s perfect start to the Premier League season came to a sudden halt after they lost 2–1 away to Aston Villa, while a brace from striker Nicolas Jackson strengthened the resurgence of Unai Emery’s revamped side.
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Italian coach Enzo Maresca had become the first manager to win his first seven league matches with a new club, but he failed to find a solution to City’s struggles at Villa Park, where his team has now lost in each of the past four seasons.
Jackson opened the scoring with a powerful shot just six minutes into the match, as Villa relied on an outstanding performance from Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to keep City at bay.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland briefly drew City level early in the second half, but Villa responded in the 60th minute when Senegalese forward Jackson converted a cross from his compatriot Ibrahim Mbaye.
Four years after Emery’s arrival, which transformed the club from a sleeping giant into a Champions League contender, the Spanish manager continues to work wonders despite the departure of key players from his squad in recent seasons.
Six players from the starting lineup in Villa’s Europa League final triumph last season left during the transfer window.
However, shrewd signings such as Jackson, Suzuki, Mbaye and Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi are already beginning to pay off after a slow start to the campaign.
So far, City have managed to ignore the clouds hanging over their future in the league and continue winning on the pitch.
The 10-time English champions are appealing a ruling against them involving more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The case could lead to severe penalties, including relegation to the second tier.
There had been little indication that the case was affecting Maresca’s men, but they paid the price for two glaring defensive errors.
A poor touch from Marc Guéhi gifted the ball to Jackson for the opening goal. The striker drove past Elliot Anderson before unleashing a powerful shot over Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City largely controlled the remainder of the first half but struggled to get past Suzuki.
The Japanese goalkeeper denied Senegalese forward Iliman Ndiaye, French midfielder Rayan Cherki and Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov, before Ndiaye struck the post.
City’s pressure finally paid off in the 52nd minute when Haaland headed in a cross from Ndiaye, scoring his 13th goal in 10 appearances this season.
Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol nearly completed the comeback moments later, but Suzuki tipped his thunderous shot onto the crossbar.
Villa, however, had the final say with the decisive goal.
Mbaye found space behind City’s defence and delivered a cross that Jackson converted with a low shot that Donnarumma should have saved.
The visitors pushed unsuccessfully for an equaliser, giving Arsenal an opportunity to draw level with the league leaders when they host Everton later on Saturday.
Villa’s sixth win in their last seven matches across all competitions lifted them to sixth place in the standings.
