Nicholas Jackson brace ends Manchester City’s Perfect Premier League Start

Nicolas Jackson’s well-taken double for Aston Villa ended Manchester City’s 100% winning start to the Premier League season.

City had taken maximum points from their first seven league games but Enzo Maresca’s team fell to their first defeat against a Villa side who have an exceptional recent record against them.

This victory was Villa’s fifth in their past seven meetings against City, a fourth successive win against them at Villa Park and came on the fourth anniversary of Unai Emery’s appointment as manager.

Villa captain John McGinn pounced on a poor touch by City defender Marc Guehi to play in Jackson, who turned inside Elliot Anderson and finished high into the net past Gianluigi Donnarumma for the hosts’ opener.

Iliman Ndiaye hit the post as the visitors pressed for an equaliser, which eventually arrived early in the second period when Erling Haaland climbed highest to nod in Ndiaye’s cross from the right.

However, parity lasted only eight minutes as Jackson met substitute Ibrahim Mbaye’s low cross with a first-time shot that went in underneath Donnarumma’s left hand.

Another goalbound Haaland header late on was cleared to safety by Ian Maatsen as Villa registered their first home league win of the season.

Villa lost their first two league games of the season but recovered well, taking 11 points from their subsequent six Premier League matches.

Manchester City have lost their past four Premier League games at Villa Park

City were aiming to become the eighth team to win their first eight games of an English top-flight season and post a new outright club record for successive league wins at the start of a campaign, which has stood since 1897-98.

They held control of the game for long spells and Haaland continued his superb scoring run, finding the net for the seventh Premier League match in a row.

However, both goals they conceded were preventable.

Guehi’s loose touch attempting to control a lofted square pass by Enzo Fernandez 30 yards from his own goal was punished and he was one of two players substituted at half-time by Maresca.

Jackson’s second was struck early from just inside the penalty area and although Donnarumma had little time to react, the shot was almost straight at the Italian goalkeeper, who was unable to get a strong hand to the ball to keep it out.

City host in-form Brighton twice in quick succession, first in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and then in the Premier League three days later, while a busy November concludes with a trip to champions Arsenal.