By: Yetunde Aiyedogbon
Aston Villa beat Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday, ending City’s 100 per cent start to the Premier League season. Nicolas Jackson scored twice for the hosts, who recorded their first home league win of the campaign.
City had come into the lunchtime game with seven wins from seven. They were looking to equal Liverpool’s record for winning the first eight matches of a Premier League season, set in 2018/19, and to win at Villa Park for the first time since December 2021.
Jackson strikes twice
Villa took the lead in the sixth minute. John McGinn found Jackson after a loose touch from Marc Guehi, and the Senegalese striker beat the defenders before firing into the roof of the net.
City pressed for an equaliser, but Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki kept them out with a series of saves, stopping efforts from Iliman Ndiaye, Rayan Cherki and Abdukodir Khusanov. Villa went in ahead at half-time.
City levelled in the 52nd minute, when Erling Haaland headed in a lofted cross from Ndiaye. Villa regained the lead on the hour, when Jackson drove a low shot into the bottom corner from a pass by Ibrahim Mbaye.
Villa then held on. City had 63 per cent of possession and 15 shots, seven on target, to Villa’s eight shots and two on target, with Suzuki making six saves.
Arsenal beat Everton
The result gave Arsenal a chance to close the gap, and they took it with a 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates Stadium. Ezri Konsa opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a low finish from a corner, his first goal for the club. Gabriel Magalhaes made it 2-0 in the 68th minute, heading in a cross from Ben White.
Arsenal stay second in the table but are now level with City on 21 points after eight matches. Everton’s defeat came a week after a 2-0 home loss to Chelsea, their second straight loss to London opposition.
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