Leaders stumble: Aston Villa stun Manchester City to extend fine run

Aston Villa have hit a fine run of form following a sluggish start to the campaign, and they looked determined to prove it against Manchester City right from the opening whistle. Their high-tempo approach caused the visitors immediate problems, and Nicolas Jackson broke the deadlock in just the sixth minute, capitalizing on a loose touch from defender Marc Guéhi during buildup play.

City took control of the contest afterwards and carved out several opportunities, but were unable to level the score until Erling Haaland produced a trademark finish in the 52nd minute. The parity was short-lived, however. On the hour mark, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye picked out Jackson inside the box with his very first touches, and the forward calmly slotted home to seal victory for Unai Emery's side.

Although Haaland found the net for the seventh consecutive league match and the visitors dominated possession, City were ultimately undone by wasteful finishing. Villa Park remains a troublesome ground for them, marking their fourth straight league defeat at the venue. Second-placed Arsenal can now pull level on points with the leaders with a win over Everton on Saturday. After picking up just one point from their opening four games, Villa have now won three of their last four to climb to sixth.