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Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City: Nicolas Jackson ends Maresca's perfect start and Arsenal draw level at the top

Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Aston Villa won their first home league game of the season and beat Manchester City for a third league meeting in a row. City's run of seven straight wins is over, and Arsenal are now level on 21 points.

By FootballVerge staff2 min read
Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City: Nicolas Jackson ends Maresca's perfect start and Arsenal draw level at the top

Villa Park has become Manchester City's least favourite ground. Nicolas Jackson scored in the sixth minute and again on the hour as Aston Villa won 2-1 on Saturday, ending Enzo Maresca's perfect start to life at City.

How the game went

Minute Event
6' Jackson puts Villa ahead
52' Erling Haaland equalises — his ninth league goal, the most in the division
60' Jackson restores Villa's lead

City had the better of the start of the second half, and Haaland's equaliser looked like the beginning of a comeback. Instead Villa struck again almost immediately on the break. "Villa scored in transitions," City defender Rúben Dias admitted; the second goal "a little bit killed the momentum we had".

"Frustrating for us, obviously everybody fought a lot," Dias said. "It was not our day but we keep going forward."

Jackson finally clicks

Jackson, signed in a £65 million deal in the summer, had struggled to find his finishing early in the season. Unai Emery joked that he had been "shooting a lot of balls over the crossbar", but praised his attitude: "Mature, experience, confidence, and he is very demanding himself. Now, he's getting his shots better." Emery still wants more from him: "We need him more running in behind."

Jackson himself was calm: "It's just the beginning; we're trying to work game by game."

The records

  • Villa's first home league win of the season, after a draw and two defeats.
  • Villa have now beaten City in three league meetings in a row for the first time in the Premier League era, and City have lost their last four trips to Villa Park.
  • City's first league defeat since Villa beat them on the final day of last season, Pep Guardiola's last game.

What it means

Team Points Note
Manchester City 21 First league defeat
Arsenal 21 Beat Everton 2-0 — match report
Aston Villa 11 Up to 6th

City's lead has gone: Arsenal are level on points. Villa have won three and drawn one of their last four league games after a winless start, and with a perfect Champions League record, Emery's side are back in the conversation for the top five.

Before the game we looked at City's perfect start and warned that their defence and their record at Villa Park were the weak points. Both proved true. See the Premier League table and the Golden Boot race.

FAQ

What was the score in Aston Villa vs Man City? Aston Villa won 2-1 on 24 October 2026. Nicolas Jackson scored twice and Erling Haaland scored for City.

Is this Manchester City's first defeat of the season? It is their first Premier League defeat; they had won all seven league games. They had already lost to PSG in the Champions League.

Who is top of the Premier League? Manchester City and Arsenal are level on 21 points after eight games.