Manchester City’s woes in the Premier League continued on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park, extending their winless streak in the league to seven games.
Villa got off to a flying start when Jhon Durán opened the scoring in the 16th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to give Unai Emery’s side a crucial early lead.
Despite City’s attempts to respond, the first half ended with the hosts firmly in control at 1-0.
The second half brought more misery for Guardiola’s men as Matías Rojas doubled Villa’s advantage in the 65th minute with a well-taken goal that left the City defense in disarray.
The reigning champions struggled to create clear-cut chances as Villa maintained their composure.
Phil Foden managed to pull one back for City deep into stoppage time, netting in the 90+3rd minute to provide a late consolation.
However, it was too little, too late for the visitors, who now find themselves in a troubling run of form.
The 2-1 defeat sees Manchester City drop to sixth place on the Premier League table, while Aston Villa leapfrog them into fifth, continuing their impressive campaign under Emery.
City will need to regroup quickly if they hope to revive their title defense, while Villa will be buoyed by their performance as they eye a strong finish to the season.