Manchester City's Struggles Continue as Aston Villa Secure 2-1 Victory at Villa Park

Manchester City suffered a disappointing loss on Saturday (Dec 21) as they were defeated by Aston Villa in the Premier League's early kickoff. This defeat marks their third consecutive loss, with Pep Guardiola's side only managing to secure one win in their last 12 matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Aston Villa's victory saw them surpass Man City in the league standings, as Unai Emery's team sets their sights on breaking into the top four and securing a spot in the Champions League.

Playing against Emery’s side, City came into the match on the back of a narrow defeat to Manchester United at the Etihad. However, things did not go well with Pep’s side as in-form Jhon Duran scored in the 16th minute from open play. Villa were the better side by then and pressed on every possible counterattack.

Duran and Lucas Digne both had more open opportunities as they looked to open the opposition's defense. Things could have gone from bad to worse in the 33rd minute for City, but last-ditch defending from City’s defense saw them keep the score at 1-0.

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After the break, Morgan Rodgers was the bright star as the visitors had to make a forced change in defense with Kyle Walker coming in place of injured John Stones. Rodgers scored the second Villa goal in the 65th minute while Phil Foden’s goal in the 93rd minute was just a consolation.

"Congratulations Aston Villa and keep going. In the mid-block, they are so strong. 

"We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the (Manchester) United game, but in the second half we dropped and our pressing was not good enough... We found a goal in the end, but too late."