BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa beat crisis-hit Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday to heap more misery on floundering manager Pep Guardiola, who has now suffered nine defeats in his past 12 matches.
Jhon Duran finished off a fine team move to give the home side an early lead and Morgan Rogers doubled Villa’s advantage in the 65th minute.
Phil Foden scored his first Premier League goal of the season in stoppage time but it proved to be too little too late.
Pep Guardiola, in the worst run of his glittering career, said Friday that “sooner or later” things will turn around but City’s fear factor has vanished.
The win lifts Unai Emery’s inconsistent Villa team to fifth in the Premier League table, one place above sinking City.
Guardiola made six changes to the team side that lost last week’s Manchester derby, bringing in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and reshaping his defense with Rico Lewis, John Stones and Manuel Akanji.
Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish also returned.
But the defending champions started the match in chaotic fashion and could have been behind inside 20 seconds.
Untidy work from Josko Gvardiol allowed John McGinn to steal the ball and he fed Duran, whose shot from outside the box was pushed behind by Ortega.
Villa were millimeters away from taking the lead from the resulting corner, with Ortega, in for first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, producing a superb save to deny Pau Torres.
City then settled and their possession numbers topped 75 percent but they created little.
Instead it was Villa who took the lead through Duran after a superb team move, scoring his seventh Premier League goal of the season.
Youri Tielemans delivered a wonderful defense-splitting pass to Rogers, who burst through City’s backline with ease before finding Duran on his right and the Colombian international finished crisply.
Phil Foden tested Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 35th minute after an incisive move involving Lewis.
And Gvardiol squandered a glorious chance moments before half-time, heading over a Grealish cross.
Guardiola brought on Kyle Walker for Stones at the break.
Minutes into the second half Villa’s Matty Cash lashed an attempt into the side netting after a speedy attack before Duran had a strike ruled out for offside.
Rogers hit the foot of the post just before the hour mark after an intricate team move down the left.
Emery’s men doubled their lead 20 minutes into the second half, with Rogers finishing unerringly from a McGinn pass.
City created little as they searched for a way back into the game until Foden pounced for a late consolation goal.
Aston Villa beat Manchester City to deepen Guardiola’s pain
https://arab.news/2y2v3
Aston Villa beat Manchester City to deepen Guardiola’s pain
- City manager in the worst run of his glittering career said Friday “sooner or later” things will turn around
Flick and Alonso set for El Clasico showdown as Barcelona and Real Madrid eye trophy in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his side are ready to give everything in Sunday night’s El Clasico final in Jeddah, as they stand one win away from lifting the trophy.
“It’s Clasico time and we can win a title. Against Athletic (Bilbao), we played as a team, as a unit. That’s what I want to see. We want to show it on the pitch; that’s the most important thing,” Flick said at his pre-match press conference.
“We want to win the final. Before Athletic, we were two games away from the title. Now it’s one. That’s what we have to think about. Ninety minutes to give it our all, 100 percent. To play as a team.”
Flick confirmed all available players are fit and the squad is preparing for every scenario, including the possibility of penalties.
“Yes, all the players are ready to be on the team. It’s great to have them all with us,” he said when asked about forward Lamine Yamal’s readiness to start.
The German also praised the setting in Jeddah.
“The atmosphere is great, the organization is very special, the fans here are supportive and outstanding, and everything is at the highest level,” he added.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said his side are fully focused as they prepare for a final he described as allowing no room for error.
“It’s a special match. We’ve wanted to be here for a long time. Tomorrow the emotional aspect will be important; we have to know how to compete in order to win,” Alonso said.
On Kylian Mbappe’s condition, he added: “When he trains today, we’ll have all the information we need to assess him and see if he’s ready to start or play a little less.”
