Manchester City suffered another heavy defeat in the Premier League, falling 2-1 to Aston Villa at Villa Park. The result marked their ninth loss in the last 12 games, a troubling stat for the defending champions. Despite a late consolation goal from Phil Foden, the performance was far from convincing, with numerous players failing to make an impact.
City were on the back foot from the start, almost conceding in the first minute, and were left with a 1-0 deficit at half-time. John Stones was forced off injured in the first half, and Villa’s former City player Morgan Rogers added a second goal in the second half. Foden’s late strike wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
RECALL:
This defeat sees Villa leapfrog City into fifth place, and the team could slip further down the table depending on results elsewhere. Here’s how the City players rated in what was another grim outing:
QUOTES:
Ortega: Made several key saves to prevent the scoreline from being worse. He was the standout performer. 7/10
Lewis: Struggled defensively and couldn’t stop Villa’s attacks, failing to make a real impact in the game. 4/10
Stones: Was caught out for the first goal after nearly conceding early on, and went off injured at half-time. 4/10
Akanji: Looked rusty after his injury, with moments of slowness that allowed Villa to exploit City’s defence. 4/10
Gvardiol: Pushed forward but left City exposed defensively, with Villa taking advantage down his side. 4/10
Kovacic: Tried to link defence and attack but lacked creativity and failed to make a significant impact. 5/10
Gundogan: Struggled to get involved and failed to provide any real threat or leadership. 4/10
Foden: Had a few attempts but nothing serious, though he did manage a consolation goal late on. 5/10
Silva: Completely outplayed by Villa and couldn’t make any meaningful contributions on the right side. 4/10
Grealish: The only City attacker who looked dangerous and tried to make things happen, despite the boos from Villa fans. 6/10
Haaland: Was isolated and received very little service, making it impossible for him to influence the game. 5/10
SUBSTITUTES:
Walker (for Stones, 46): Didn’t do enough to change the game despite being on the field for most of the second half. 5/10
Savinho (for Gundogan, 73): Looked positive with some good dribbling and assisted in Foden’s goal. 6/10
Doku (for Kovacic, 84): Had no time to make an impact. N/A
CITATIONS:
This match was part of the Premier League’s 2024/25 season, covered live by multiple sports networks.
KEEP IN MIND:
The loss was another blow to City’s hopes of turning their season around. With the team struggling to create chances and concede sloppy goals, the crisis at the club continues to grow. The absence of key players and lack of rhythm in their performances have left Pep Guardiola with much work to do ahead of upcoming matches.
