Erling Haaland scored once more as Aston Villa held Manchester City to a dismal draw on Saturday night at Villa Park.
Despite dominating first-half possession and chances generated,
goal-happy Manchester City was unable to get past Aston Villa’s fortified defence.
City started the second half with more vigour
and took the lead through star striker Erling Haaland before conceding an equaliser to Leon Bailey.
Aston VillaScore – Manchester City Played on September 03, 2022
Ollie Watkins’ attempt from Aston Villa deflected off John Stones and went wide of Ederson’s goal as the half progressed,
but neither team was able to break the scoreless tie.
However,
this deadlock did not continue for very long in the second half when Erling Haaland,
who was in fine form, scored the game’s first goal.
After exchanging passes with Bernardo Silva,
Kevin De Bruyne moved forward and sent in a cross that Erling Haaland
pounced on from close range to bring his tally for the season to 10 goals in only six games.
Soon after falling behind,
Rodri lost control to Ollie Watkins, allowing Aston Villa to advance and be given a two-on-one chance. When Ederson publicly rejected Jacob Ramsey,
the opportunity was lost.
When Haaland awarded the Citizens a free kick in an excellent shooting position,
Manchester City almost doubled their lead. The set piece was taken by Kevin De Bruyne,
whose well-struck shot hit Emiliano Martnez’s crossbar.
In what was Pep Guardiola’s first substitution of the game,
Bernardo Silva was replaced by Riyad Mahrez after Bernardo Silva was repeatedly fouled by the pursuing Villa players.
Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey scored an unexpected equaliser just a few seconds after Mahrez entered the game. The home team’s first shot on goal of the contest was a cross from Jacob Ramsey that Leon Bailey slammed in.
In an effort to get new legs on the field for Manchester City’s last 10 minutes of the game,
Pep Guardiola decided to substitute Nathan Ake for Kyle Walker in response to this.
After a dramatic 3-3 draw with Newcastle United last month,
City tried to grab a late winner but were unable to do so, dropping two crucial points away from home for the second time this season.
Erling Haaland’s 10th goal in six games prevented Aston Villa from earning a 1-1 home draw,
denying Manchester City the chance to retake the top spot in the Premier League.
With a goal in the second half at Villa Park (50),
Haaland added to his back-to-back hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. He did this to move four goals clear in the Premier League scoring standings.
In spite of replays later proving he was onside,
Villa’s substitute Philippe Coutinho thought he had given them a startling
lead before his effort from outside the area deflected in off the underside of the bar.
Rodri missed a late opportunity for City to score,
and Martinez stopped Phil Foden’s close-range attempt,
but Villa hung on to avoid suffering a fourth straight league loss and earn manager Steven Gerrard a much-needed point.
Steven Gerrard, the manager of Aston Villa,
is optimistic that his team can build on their draw with champions Manchester City to get their season off to a strong start.
Aston Villa earned a fantastic draw at Villa Park with to Leon Bailey’s equaliser,
lifting them out of the bottom three and denying Champions City the chance to retake the Premier League lead.
Before the ball was kicked, “nobody gave us any hope or any chance,
” remarked Gerrard.
“I’m incredibly happy and proud of what the players did for us, and nobody can argue with us getting a point, especially because it’s a big one.
“However, the players must carry that assurance into the future. You hope it’s a foundation, but if you reset and back it up against Leicester and Southampton,
it only becomes a significant point.
“The risk arises if you don’t reset after you believe you are headed in the right way. It’s true that there has been a lot of outside noise,
but now is my chance to step up and take the lead even more.
“We must remain a unit and keep growing.”
Erling Haaland, the league’s leading scorer,
scored his 10th goal in six games when he was perfectly situated at the back post to volley in Kevin de Bruyne’s exquisite cross.
Today’s Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa ended in a 1-1 draw,
although some members of Pep Guardiola’s team struggled.
After six games,
Erling Haaland already had his tenth goal of the year for Manchester City, while Kevin De Bruyne was at the top of his game. Even so,
it wasn’t sufficient to get three points.
Steven Gerrard is temporarily under less strain since Aston Villa allowed Pep Guardiola’s team to drop their second point of the year.
With 16 minutes left, the Jamaican international scored, giving Steven Gerrard’s team a much-needed point against the champs.
After opening the scoring with his 10th goal of the year, Erling Haaland was twice denied by Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
For Pep Guardiola’s team, who had a trying afternoon, Kevin De Bruyne also hit the crossbar.
After Haaland gave City the lead five minutes into the second half, Villa rode their luck a bit, but their valiant effort earned them a draw.
Even though City generated more opportunities, the home team still had opportunities thanks to Ollie Watkins and Jacob Ramsey.
Douglas Luiz received his second Premier League start of the season as a result of his goal off the bench,
less than 48 hours after Villa rejected three offers from Arsenal for his services. Gerrard just made one change to the team that began Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at Arsenal.
Emi Buendia had to make room because Philippe Coutinho and the Argentine were both on the sidelines.
