Seven wins, then a first defeat for City
Manchester City arrived in Birmingham with seven wins from seven and left with their first league defeat of the season. Aston Villa won 2-1 on Saturday, and Nicolas Jackson scored both goals, in the sixth minute and again in the 60th. The former Chelsea striker has now scored in each of his last four Premier League games.
Erling Haaland pulled City level at the start of the second half. He met an Iliman Ndiaye cross with a powerful header in the 52nd minute, his ninth league goal of the season and the most in the division. He nearly added a second late on, but Ian Maatsen cleared his header off the line in the 89th.
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Donnarumma error, busy afternoon for Suzuki
Gianluigi Donnarumma made a clumsy handling error on Villa’s second goal, which turned out to be the decisive moment of a high-intensity game. Zion Suzuki, who replaced Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal, had plenty to do at the other end. He denied Rayan Cherki in the 21st minute and Abdukodir Khusanov in the 24th, then tipped a heavy Josko Gvardiol strike onto the crossbar in the 56th. Ndiaye also hit the post for Villa in the 28th minute. Cherki was taken off at half-time.
City stay top on 21 points, but Arsenal can cut the gap to three if they beat Everton later in the afternoon. Enzo Maresca’s side are also under pressure off the pitch, with the club facing the threat of heavy sanctions in a financial fraud case. Villa sit sixth on 11 points after a slow start, and this was their first home league win of the season.
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