MY ACCOUNT
Manchester City dropped points for the second time this season in the Premier League as Leon Bailey cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener to earn a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola’s side failed to have a shot on target in the first half, yet they went ahead five minutes after the interval when Haaland prodded home from close range for his 10th goal of the season.
City were made to pay for a host of missed chances after that as Bailey rifled in with 16 minutes remaining to send Villa Park wild, delighting under-pressure home boss Steven Gerrard.
The second-placed champions moved to a point adrift of leaders Arsenal, who face a test against improving Manchester United on Sunday, while Villa climbed to 17th spot.
City started in typically dominant mood, with Kyle Walker blazing over and Kevin De Bruyne lashing wide inside the opening 10 minutes.
Villa withstood that early pressure, though, and almost took the lead in the 38th minute when Ollie Watkins’ effort was deflected narrowly wide by John Stones.
City went ahead in the 50th minute with their first shot on target, Haaland stealing in at the back post to convert De Bruyne’s looping cross.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker almost had a second shortly after the hour mark, yet his instinctive effort was kept out by the legs of Emiliano Martinez.
De Bruyne then clipped the top of the crossbar with a free-kick from 20 yards, before Martinez again denied Haaland.
Villa snatched a point on a rare foray forward as Bailey whipped home from 15 yards after being picked out by Jacob Ramsey.
What does it mean? Disappointment for City but away run continues
City looked set for a 15th win in their last 17 Premier League games against Villa, yet Bailey’s wonderful strike denied them.
It will be scant consolation, but the result means City are unbeaten in their last 21 away games in the Premier League (W15 D6). There have only been three longer such runs in the competition’s history: Arsenal twice topping it (23 games to September 2002, 27 games to September 2004) and Manchester United (29 games to September 2021).
Unstoppable Haaland
If anyone had concerns about how Haaland would adapt to the Premier League, they have been dispelled now. The Norway international has scored 10 goals in his first six Premier League appearances – the joint-fastest a player has reached 10 goals in the competition’s history, alongside Mick Quinn back in December 1992.
Out-of-sorts Foden
It was a subdued outing for Phil Foden, who only had one shot and failed to register a key pass in the full 90 minutes. Jack Grealish or Riyad Mahrez, who started on the bench, might fancy their chances of starting City’s next game.
Key Opta facts
– Villa have four points from their first six Premier League games of the season (W1 D1 L4), their joint-lowest total at this stage in the competition, along with 2015-16 and 2019-20. However, they have ended a run of seven consecutive losses to City. Only against Manchester United have they endured a longer such run of defeats in the competition (a run of 11 from March 2003 to March 2008).
– City have failed to win two of their last three Premier League games in which they have scored first (W1 D2), one more than in their previous 31 such games in the competition (W30 D1).
– Haaland is just the fifth player to score in each of their first three away appearances in the Premier League, after Peter Beardsley, Jurgen Klinsmann, Francesco Baiano and Alen Boksic.
– De Bruyne has now registered 90 assists in the Premier League, becoming the eighth player to do so in the competition’s history in what was his 216th game.
What’s next?
City start their Champions League campaign away to Sevilla on Tuesday, before hosting Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday – the same day Villa travel to Leicester City.
