City slip to defeat at Aston Villa

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Manchester City F.C.

·21 dicembre 2024

City slip to defeat at Aston Villa

City went down to a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on what proved a frustrating afternoon in the Midlands.

Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers either side of half time saw the hosts claim the spoils as City’s tough run of recent results continued.

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An injury time strike from Phil Foden gave Pep Guardiola's side hope of claiming a point

However, Villa held on to claim the three points and so rise above City up to fifth in the Premier League table.

What happened

With City bolstered by the return of both John Stones and Manuel Akanji, Pep Guardiola’s troops stepped out at a blustery and overcast Villa Park seeking to kick-off our festive programme in positive fashion.

However it was the hosts who were straight out of the traps with Villa almost ahead inside a minute.

Within seconds Ortega needed to be at his best to produce two stunning saves to deny the hosts.

First, the German delivered a fine diving save to deny Jhon Duran who was in one on one after a misplaced Josko Gvardiol.

Ortega then went even better from the resulting corner, executing a stunning left-handed block to claw Pau Torres’ back header back from crossing the line and onto the bar.

A goal line technology check subsequently showed the ball was millimetres away from fully crossing the line to further emphasise the magnitude of Ortega’s block.

And it was the hosts who struck first, Jhon Duran firing Villa into a 16th minute lead.

Youri Tielemans was the architect, the Belgian threading a fine long ball between the City back line into the path of the onrushing Morgan Rogers.

The former City Academy graduate took his time before feeding the waiting Duran with the Colombian striker making no mistake from 12 yards to register his 12th goal of the season and sixth in six starts.

It was a body blow but City sought to summon up a fitting riposte, dominating territory and possession with Jack Grealish a particular threat on the left flank.

And it needed a fine save by Villa ‘keeper Emi Martinez on 34 minutes to deny a Phil Foden snapshot from the centre of the box after a quickfire City passing move had opened up the opportunity.

Another superb City attack, sparked by a wonderful Gvardiol surge upfield on 43 minutes then saw the Croatian glance a header over the bar as he sought to convert Grealish’s inviting cross with Martinez caught in no-man’s land.

City opted to make a half time switch with Kyle Walker replacing John Stones.

And the Blues were then grateful three minutes after the restart when a Matty Cash shot crashed into the side netting after another quick Villa counter-attack.

Duran then had the ball in the City net once more on 51 minutes but a VAR check confirmed the Colombian was offside after breaching the visitors’ back line.

City were grateful again on the hour after the dangerous Rogers fired in a low eight-yard effort that clipped the outside of Ortega’s post.

But Villa’s second half pressure eventually garnered fruit as Rogers struck to double the hosts’ lead on 66 minutes.

The England midfielder carved open a fraction of space midway in the City box after some more impressive build-up play before despatching a left footed shot past Ortega.

City urgently needed a response and Foden then tested Martinez's reflexes again.

And deep in added time, Foden's energy and perseverance was rewarded when he struck from close range for his first Premier League goal of the season.

But there wasn't enough time for City to claim a point.