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Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park, ending the visitors’ perfect start to the 2026-27 Premier League season after seven consecutive victories.
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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland equalised with a powerful header seven minutes into the second half, but Jackson restored Villa’s lead eight minutes later to secure all three points for the hosts.
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Aston Villa recorded their third league win of the campaign and fourth consecutive home victory against Manchester City, while Ian Maatsen cleared Haaland’s late header off the line to preserve the hosts’ advantage.
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Jackson has now scored seven goals in 11 matches since joining Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer, while Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca praised his team’s performance despite the defeat.
October 24, (THEWILL) – Nicolas Jackson produced a match-winning performance to lead Aston Villa to a 2-1 win over Man City at the Villa Park on Saturday.
The defeat ended Man City’s perfect start to the 2026-27 Premier League season after they won their first seven matches to top the table.
It was Aston Villas’s third win of the season following a poor start to the new campaign.
It was also their fourth successive win against Manchester City at the Villa Park.
Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for the hosts following another error from Marc Guehi.
The England defender controlled a pass poorly into the path of John McGinn, who assisted Jackson to finish powerfully past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the sixth minute.
Iliman Ndiaye hit the post as Man City scrambled for an equaliser, but Aston Villa held on to take the lead into the break.
Seven minutes after the break, Erling Haaland brought Man City back into the game with a powerful header from Iliman Ndiaye’s cross.
Eight minutes later, Jackson restored Aston Villas’s lead with a first-time effort that went in behind Donnarumma’s left hand from Ibrahim Mbaye’s low cross.
Erling Haaland’s late header was cleared off the line by Lan Maatsen.
Man City threw everything they had forward in search of an equaliser but they were unable to find a breakthrough.
Aston Villa held on to seal their first home win of the season and also their fifth win in seven matches against Man City.
Man City coach, Enzo Maresca, was impressed with his team’s performance despite the defeat.
He said: “It was a good game, good performance but unfortunately we lost. I think we did enough to get something more. We learn and move on.
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“We struggled the first 10-15 minutes because we excepted them one way but they were different. We adjusted then controlled the game.
“Performance overall was good. Amount of chances we created. Second half we only conceded the transition of the goal.
“Sometimes you have to defend a bit better or be a bit more lucky in that transition but it’s football. We learn from that and move on.”
Nicolas Jackson has now scored seven goals in 11 matches since joining Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer.
The Senegalese forward was delighted with his performance in the encounter.
Jackson said: “Important win. We got the win today, fought very well as a team and very happy.
“Just trying to work for the team – try to finish and score goals for the team. Very happy with the two goals, and the win is the most important.
“We know they are a very strong team. They have some of the best players in the world and it’s not easy to play against them. We tried to play with personality.”
Man City will be hoping for an instance response when they face Brighton in the EFL fourth round on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium.
Aston Villa will be targeting another win when they face Bournemouth in the same competition on the same day at the Vitality Stadium.
