Aston Villa secured an easy 2-1 win over Manchester City on Saturday in the Premier League, condemning the reigning Premier League champions to a ninth defeat in 12 matches in all competitions.
Villa struck first in the Midlands through the in-form John Doran, who put the home side ahead at the end of an impressive move. Man City failed to equalize before the half-time whistle after another disappointing display.
Morgan Rogers doubled the host team's lead in the 65th minute before Phil Foden scored a late goal, and Manchester City suffered another defeat in the English Premier League after that. Manchester derby nightmare last weekend.
How the game unfolded
Aston Villa They had two great chances to take the lead in the first minute after missing the target Man City cold.
Duran almost took advantage of Yusko Gvardiol's mistake, but he pushed the ball away from Stefan Ortega, and then the German goalkeeper made a wonderful save from Pau Torres from a subsequent corner kick. The defender's near post header came within inches of crossing the goal line.
But Ortega was left helpless in the 17th minute as Villa finally capitalized on their electric start. Youri Tielemans' brilliant defence-splitting pass allowed Morgan Rogers a free run past Ortega, with the striker setting up Duran for the opening goal of the match.
Man City continued to control the ball despite falling behind, but faced difficulties in creating many important goal-scoring opportunities. Phil Foden They produced their most promising moment in the first half, combining well with Rico Luis before forcing Emiliano Martinez into a low save. Gvardiol almost equalized as well, but was unable to head the ball away at the near post.
Villa continued to make life incredibly difficult for the Citizens after the restart and gave them another warning signal on the hour mark. Some brilliant one-touch passing presented Rogers with a chance in the box and he fired his low shot beyond Ortega's outside post.
But Man City refused to learn from its mistakes and soon found itself with a mountain to climb. It was another great breakaway from Villa as Rogers raced 20 yards from his own half, eventually playing a one-two with John McGinn before slotting the ball beyond Ortega to double Villa's lead.
Ollie Watkins could have added some spark to the score just three minutes after coming off the bench, but the striker fired a shot directly at Ortega from inside the penalty area.
Villa were briefly given a scare in stoppage time when Foden scored, but Man City were unable to present the home side with any further problems in the dying embers as they suffered another agonizing defeat.
Check player ratings for Aston Villa vs Man City here.
Man City's dismal run has been marked by problems in both boxes. Pep Guardiola's side failed to perform inside the opposition penalty area when presented with golden opportunities, but it was their absent-minded defending that proved most costly.
The absence of Ruben Dias Manchester City were always likely to feel it at Villa Park, and that became clear after the hosts' opener. A stark space was opened up in the middle of the defense by Tielemans' brilliant passing, as Villa played through the entire Man City team in just three passes.
There were already warning signs, too. Another error from Gvardiol gave a great opportunity for a turnover within the first 20 seconds, as Ortega saved his defenders twice in the first minute.
Man City were similarly porous after the half-time whistle. Weak in challenges and repeatedly beaten by challengers, Guardiola's players were overpowered by a relentless Villa, with their shortcomings at the back once again proving their undoing.
Jack Grealish He was anticipating the boos that came his way with every touch as he returned to Villa Park, but the winger's job as a pantomime villain sparked some fire in his belly.
The former Villa star drew four fouls in the first half alone, forcing a yellow card from Matty Cash, repeatedly finding space on the left flank and testing the Polish international with his agility and quick feet. He provided Manchester City's brightest spark during a first 45 minutes when there was little to upset the visiting fans.
However, Grealish has returned to a player who has been disappointing in recent months after the break. Man City were unable to get him involved as Villa moved more bodies closer to the speedy striker, and he roared on the occasions he did gain possession.
In the end, as it did with Manchester City, the game faded to Grealish, who was shown a late yellow card for charging at his former team-mate McGinn as he showed his frustration.
Duran started the season as an impressive substitute, but Unai Emery has been offered to start more regularly in recent weeks. The Colombian performed brilliantly and scored for the fourth match in a row against Manchester City.
The finish was usually tight and Duran produced a similarly clinical strike just after the half-time whistle but was disallowed by the offside flag. It's clear to see why Chelsea We were very interested in the formerly tall striker, whose price has now risen significantly.
But apart from Duran's finishing, he produced an excellent all-round display at centre-forward. He held the ball expertly when Villa won possession back, drawing fouls and bringing others into play. His impressive work ethic will no doubt please Emery during another eye-catching display that will worry Ollie Watkins.
Tielemans has taken some time to settle in at Villa Park but the midfielder has been an integral part of Emery's system this season. He has been a mainstay for the Villans in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions Leagueproviding a balance between defensive solidity and offensive spark.
It was the latter who was on full display against Man City. The Belgian coordinated Villa's direct counter-attacks, impressing with his combination of short and long passes. The absolute peaches created the game's opening goal, Tielemans picking out Rogers in style after a precise through ball.
There were plenty of other highlight reel moments. He often collected the ball on the half-turn before releasing runners and continued to attract attention for his impressive distribution. Duran and Rogers may steal the headlines, but Tielemans' work made Villa's win possible.
