A brace from Nicolas Jackson ended Manchester City's perfect start to the Premier League season, as Aston Villa claimed a 2-1 victory at Villa Park on Saturday. The win moved Unai Emery's side up to sixth in the table, while City missed the chance to set a new top-flight record.
City arrived in Birmingham having won every league match since Enzo Maresca took charge. Victory would have made them the first team to surpass Chelsea's record of nine consecutive wins to open a Premier League campaign, but that milestone will have to wait.
Jackson Strikes Early and Late
Jackson opened the scoring after just six minutes, sending Elliot Anderson the wrong way before finishing high at Gianluigi Donnarumma's near post. It was his sixth goal in Villa colours, and he added a seventh on the hour mark.
Maresca responded at half-time by introducing Rico Lewis and Phil Foden, who had scored a hat-trick in the Champions League. The change paid off quickly when Erling Haaland headed home Iliman Ndiaye's cross to level the scores.
Villa Hold On for Victory
Parity lasted only eight minutes. Jackson was picked out by Ibrahim Mbaye and his low shot beat Donnarumma to restore Villa's lead. City pushed for an equaliser, but goalkeeper Zion Suzuki held firm until the final whistle.
Villa Park remains a difficult ground for City, who have not won there since 2021. Jackson has now scored seven goals in 11 appearances for Aston Villa.
