Villa's late surge beats City and ruins their unbeaten season

Nicolas Jackson scored two goals to lead Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday. The result ended a seven-match winning streak for the visitors, who had begun the Premier League season without dropping a point.

Jackson put Villa ahead after six minutes. A heavy touch from Marc Guehi allowed the forward to cut inside Elliott Anderson and fire a high shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Manchester City controlled possession for much of the first half but could not break through the Villa defense. Zion Suzuki made key saves to stop Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki, and Abdukodir Khusanov, while Ndiaye also struck the post before halftime.

Erling Haaland equalized for the visitors in the 52nd minute. He headed in a cross from Ndiaye, marking his 13th goal in 10 appearances this season. Josko Gvardiol had a chance to give City the lead shortly after, but Suzuki directed his shot onto the crossbar.

Villa regained the lead in the 60th minute. Ibrahim Mbaye crossed from behind the defense, and Jackson placed a low shot past Donnarumma. The visitors pushed for a late equalizer but failed to find a breakthrough in the remaining time.

The defeat places Manchester City in a precarious position at the top of the table. Arsenal can level the points total if they defeat Everton later on Saturday. For Villa, the win represents a sixth victory in seven games across all competitions, moving them to sixth place in the standings.

Unai Emery has transformed the club since his arrival four years ago, guiding them into the Champions League despite losing six key players during the summer transfer window. The team's new acquisitions, including Jackson, Suzuki, Mbaye, and Johan Manzambi, have performed well following a slow start to the season.

Manchester City's loss comes as the club appeals a guilty verdict on over 100 charges related to financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018. Potential sanctions include relegation, though manager Enzo Maresca's side had appeared unaffected on the pitch until two defensive errors in this match.