New Delhi: Aston Villa showcased their growing credentials in the Premier League with a commanding 2-1 victory over a struggling Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Villa Park. The win moves Villa into fifth place and piling further misery on Pep Guardiola’s side who now face questions about their faltering title defense.
The match began at a high note with Aston Villa wasting no time in putting City under pressure. Within the first 20 seconds, Jhon Duran forced a low save from Stefan Ortega setting the tone for an aggressive and fearless Villa performance. The resulting corner saw Torres’ header tipped onto the bar by Ortega, signaling City’s defensive frailties early on.
City’s persistence with a high defensive line soon got punished as in the 16th minute, Youri Tielemans orchestrated a stunning move as he received the ball from Emiliano Martinez and threading a perfectly weighted pass through City’s backline. Former City player Morgan Rogers latched onto it and unselfishly squared the ball to Duran, who made no mistake and calmly slotted home for his seventh Premier League goal of the season.
While Jack Grealish posed a threat down the left for City, his delivery found little reward. One of their best chances came when Josko Gvardiol headed over from a Grealish cross late in the first half, epitomizing the visitors’ wastefulness.
Ahead at the break 🫡 #AVLMCI #UpTheVilla pic.twitter.com/5g32NvUyXB
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 21, 2024
Rogers steals the show
The second half saw Aston Villa maintain their momentum. Duran had the ball in the back of the net shortly after the game resumed but his effort was ruled out for offside. However, Villa remained relentless and their persistence paid off in the 65th minute.
Tielemans was once again at the heart of the action combining smartly with John McGinn. The Scot delivered a precise ball to Morgan Rogers who then capped off a sensational individual performance with a composed finish into the bottom-right corner. The goal highlighted Villa’s fluidity in attack with Rogers notching a goal and an assist against his former club.
Phil Foden offered City a glimmer of hope with a late strike in stoppage time, prodding home after a rare moment of chaos in the Villa box. Despite a late flurry City could not reverse the result, marking their sixth league defeat of the campaign.
Morgan Rogers, that is just COLD 🥶
He carries the ball from his own half, plays a give-and-go with McGinn and calmly finishes across Ortega to double @AVFCOfficial‘s lead 😮💨#AVLMCI pic.twitter.com/UShKWzRtgg
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 21, 2024
Man of the Match
Youri Tielemans’ game by numbers vs. Man City:
45 touches
5 final third entries
4 duels won
3 tackles
2 successful lay-offs
1 accurate through ball
1 big chance created
He was incredible. 👏 pic.twitter.com/dDMqhP9H3o
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) December 21, 2024
Youri Tielemans delivered a midfield masterclass against Manchester City, orchestrating Aston Villa’s victory with precision and poise. The Belgian international was the heartbeat of Villa’s attack as he dictated play with his vision and composure on the ball.
The 27-year-old made 45 touches throughout the match dictating the tempo and constantly being involved in key moments. His ability to break forward was evident as he made five successful entries into the final third helping Villa transition quickly from defense to attack.
In addition to his offensive contributions, Tielemans was tenacious in the tackle as well. Hew won four duels and made three crucial tackles to disrupt Man City’s rhythm. His creative prowess shone through with a brilliant through ball that sliced open City’s defense to set up Villa’s first goal. Tielemans’ influence was felt at both ends of the pitch as he not only provided the assists for Villa’s goals but also helped defensively when needed.
Aston Villa triumphed 2-1 over Manchester City with goals from Jhon Duran and a stellar performance from Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans in midfield. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
