)
Aston Villa beat Manchester City to leapfrog Pep Guardiola's side om the Premier League standings.
Manchester City's woes are far from over as they have now been pushed down to 6th on the Premier League log following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
On-fire striker Jhon Duran gave the Villans the lead against the run of play, and Morgan Rodgers doubled the advantage in the second-half.
Unai Emery's side seemed coursing for victory before Phil Foden complicated the situation with a late goal. However, it was not enough to spark a comeback as Aston Villa held on to maximum points.
)
23:39 - 20.12.2024
Pep headache continues as important player gets injured for one month
Manchester City suffered another major injury problem.
)
06:16 - 19.12.2024
Manchester City star Rodri ahead of schedule in return from ACL injury
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has revealed that winning the Ballon d'Or has increased his determination to return from injury sooner than later.
Key match details
Villa seized the initiative with a lively start and should have gotten the lead early on when Duran exploited Josko Gvardiol's misplaced pass to bear down on goal. However, the Colombian striker's early effort was thwarted by Stefan Ortega's save.
The resulting corner yielded another exceptional save from Ortega, as he magnificently denied Pau Torres' header. City failed to heed these warnings, and Villa capitalised on their momentum.
A piercing pass from Youri Tielemans released Morgan Rogers, who zoomed past City's defence and teed up Duran, who calmly slotted past the hapless Ortega in the 16th minute.
Following the goal, Pep Guardiola's side assumed control of the contest, dominating possession with Jack Grealish prominent in the proceedings, but the former Villa winger failed to make the most of the time and space he was afforded.
The second half commenced with Villa replicating their energetic start. Matty Cash fired into the side netting during a swift counter-attack, while Duran’s would-be goal was disallowed for offside after he sprinted through on goal.
Guardiola's men were caught napping, and Villa deservedly doubled their advantage in the 65th minute. Rogers combined with John McGinn before slotting the ball into the far corner. Apart from Phil Foden's speculative long-range effort, City rarely troubled Emiliano Martinez. Instead, Villa threatened to add a third, as Ollie Watkins' shot was saved at the near post by Ortega.
Foden eventually netted a consolation goal in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late. Aston Villa held on to dear life and secured maximum points, which ensured they replaced Manchester City at fifth on the standings. .
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)