Aston Villa beats Manchester City 2-1 to halt record start

Manchester City lost its first Premier League match of the season on Saturday, falling 2-1 to Aston Villa at Villa Park. The result snapped a seven-game winning run that had made manager Enzo Maresca the first coach to win his opening seven matches with a new club.

Aston Villa took the lead six minutes into the match. Marc Guehi made a heavy touch that fell to Nicolas Jackson, who cut inside Elliott Anderson and fired a high shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goal gave Unai Emery's rebuilt side an early advantage.

City dominated possession for much of the first half but faced a strong performance from Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, and Abdukodir Khusanov all found their shots blocked, while Ndiaye struck the post. The pressure broke through in the 52nd minute when Erling Haaland headed in a cross from Ndiaye. It was Haaland's 13th goal in his last 10 appearances this season.

Villa restored its lead just moments later. Ibrahim Mbaye slipped past the City defense and crossed the ball for Jackson, who placed a low shot past Donnarumma. Josko Gvardiol came close to leveling the score with a fierce drive, but Suzuki pushed the ball onto the crossbar.

The defeat leaves City vulnerable at the top of the table. Arsenal can move level with the champions if they defeat Everton at home later on Saturday. For Villa, the win marks their sixth victory in seven matches across all competitions, lifting them to sixth place in the Premier League standings.

Emery has overseen a major squad overhaul since arriving four years ago, transforming the club into a Champions League contender. Despite losing six players who started last season's Europa League final, his summer signings of Jackson, Suzuki, Mbaye, and Johan Manzambi are delivering results. The two defensive errors in the match proved costly for City, which is currently appealing a guilty verdict on over 100 financial charges from 2009 to 2018.