Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Aston Villa handed Manchester City their first defeat of the Premier League season, securing a 2-1 victory at Villa Park.
The Villa forward capitalised on defensive errors from Marc Guehi and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, with Erling Haaland’s equaliser proving insufficient to rescue City in a fiercely contested encounter.
Unai Emery’s side entered the match seeking their first home league victory of the campaign but were boosted by three consecutive wins across all competitions. Their energetic start paid off when Jackson punished Guehi’s poor touch with a composed finish.
City struggled to settle as Villa applied intense pressure, recording more first-half tackles than in any opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match across this season and last.
Despite the pressure, City created opportunities, with Rayan Cherki denied by Zion Suzuki before Iliman Ndiaye struck the far post.
Haaland eventually restored parity by heading home Ndiaye’s cross, and City looked capable of completing a comeback when Suzuki tipped Josko Gvardiol’s effort onto the crossbar.
However, Jackson struck again to restore Villa’s lead after Donnarumma failed to deal with Ibrahim Mbaye’s cross, allowing the striker’s first-time effort to slip beneath the goalkeeper.
Haaland came close to equalising late on, but Ian Maatsen cleared his goal-bound header as Villa held on for a crucial victory.
The result moves Aston Villa up to sixth place in the Premier League table, while Manchester City’s perfect start to the season comes to an end.
