Aston Villa Beats Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park, Ending City’s Perfect Start

Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City

On Saturday, 24 October 2026, Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 2‑1 at Villa Park in a Premier League match.

Nicolas Jackson scored both Villa goals, opening the scoring in the 6th minute after a poor relaunch by the Manchester City defence and restoring the lead in the 60th minute following a rebound that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to save.

Manchester City equalised in the 52nd minute when Erling Haaland headed a cross from Iliman Ndiaye into the net.

Villa’s midfielder Johan Manzambi started despite a recent calf injury and was substituted shortly after the hour mark.

The result handed Manchester City its first Premier League defeat of the season, ending a 100 % winning start and raising defensive concerns for manager Enzo Maresca. The victory moved Aston Villa to sixth place with 11 points and kept the race for the league lead tight, with Arsenal later beating Everton 2-0 to return to equality with City.

After the match, Haaland praised Villa’s efficiency and manager Unai Emery in a post‑match interview.