Man City losing is no longer surprising – Morgan Rogers has left them behind
A bleak midwinter indeed for Pep Guardiola, who is now losing games the way the rest of the mere mortals of the managerial fraternity do: at first inexplicably, then consistently, and now insipidly.
It is a new experience for Guardiola as the streak goes on and on, just four Premier League points from the last 24 available, nine defeats in 12 games in all competitions. The man himself cut a brooding figure on the touchline, sinking deeper into a thick black hooded coat that seemed to envelope him ever more as the defeat unfolded. His players, once dominant in the English game, were hustled aside by the directness and the physicality of an Aston Villa team that are not always reliable performers themselves.
City’s Premier League defeats once felt collectable, strange anomalies in the great sweep of their history, but now they run plentiful and each with its own theme. This time it was Morgan Rogers, the former City player, now Villa attacker, who assisted the first and scored the second. He carried the ball past more than one City challenge with a delicacy of touch and a puncher’s physique. On this afternoon Rogers looked like the future, and many of City’s players the past.
City signed Rogers in 2019 in that difficult developmental period between academy and Premier League first-teamer and sold him to Middlesbrough four years later after three loans and not a single City senior appearance. Like his former City stable-mate Cole Palmer, the 22-year-old Rogers, a West Bromwich Albion academy boy, looks like he might be one of the best players in the Premier League for quite some time to come.
These are not problems which Guardiola can fix now, stuck as he is in the midst of a crisis. Even Unai Emery would concede that the fast start of his own team meant that once Jhon Durán had given Villa the lead, City’s confidence was already ebbing. Guardiola cites a combination of injuries and the effect of those injuries – an unrealistic load on the players that he does have fit. Mateo Kovacic, Manuel Akanji and John Stones were all rushed back into action for this game and it showed.
Jhon Duran opens the scoring and Aston Villa lead 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/RvI7nQl6cs— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
Stones was taken off at half-time and even Guardiola could grant himself a dark chuckle when it was asked whether that was tactical or injury-dictated. “I’m not in the right moment to make tactical and creative changes,” he said. “This is a moment where I cannot overthink.” Stones, he said, had suffered a recurrence of a previous injury and will be out again, although he is barely on the first page of Guardiola’s problems.
For the goal he did score, Rogers coasted past Stones’s replacement Kyle Walker and Kovacic in the second half. Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva struggled to exert the influence they once had, although Guardiola paid tribute to the resilience of the latter to adapt to new positions and demands. Erling Haaland touched the ball once in the Villa penalty box all game and embarked on an extensive mea culpa afterwards with TNT Sports and Norwegian broadcasters.
"I haven't been good enough"
Erling Haaland gives @julesbreach an honest reflection on how he's performing at the moment and how Man City move forward... 💪
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/sp64Io8fLI— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
To Guardiola’s credit he has not turned on his players – and he rejected Haaland’s efforts to take a little of the blame away from his manager. But there is no doubt that this team – either overplayed or just too far past its peak in certain positions – looks very vulnerable. Villa are now ahead of them in fifth place in the league table. The visit of Everton on Boxing Day would usually be a foregone conclusion for City but there is a scenario where a very defensive Sean Dyche side, that secured a point at Arsenal, may cause problems.
City looked better in the first half, and Jack Grealish, back at the club of his early years, their best attacking threat. Yet Emery appeared to accept that compromise. He had blocked off the centre of the pitch with three central midfielders – Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara – and forced City wide. When Villa did turn over possession they were direct to a point of principle, with John McGinn effective in the wide right position and in the second half it began to tell.
Even Guardiola had to admit his side were second best after the break. It was only a mistake from Lucas Digne in the third minute of time added on, when he stepped on the ball and gave it to Phil Foden unmarked in the penalty area that City scored. They had been opened up down the centre for Durán’s first half goal – a simple case of Emi Martínez to Tielemans and down the middle for Rogers to square it to his team-mate.
Morgan Rogers makes it 2-0 Aston Villa 🔥
The defensive problems continue for Man City 😳
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vuutXbzjas— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
But the best goal of the game was from Rogers, bursting from deep and carrying the ball into City territory before having the presence of mind to run beyond McGinn and take it back for a left-footed finish. Rogers would currently be City’s best player were he still at the club. “Do you know what happened?” Guardiola said of the decision to let Rogers leave in 2023. “[We had] Some players who won the Treble and the Quadruple. It’s about the right tempo and the right time that [we] can give a chance [to a player].
“Everybody knows how good Morgan is and so are a lot of players who we loan or sell but he was in that age where – at that moment – we had the players [who had] allowed us to create more success in eight years [than ever before] in the history of our club.”
It was a telling observation because all of a sudden it feels too late for many of that generation of City players. It is always a source of wonder how quickly football changes – and how players like Rogers can look overnight, a very different proposition to 12 months previous. The modern City have been experts at anticipating that change but not this season, and now for the first time they appear at the mercy of the rest of the English game.
Haaland: Blame me for Manchester City crisis
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland said he had not been good enough this season, and that the once all-conquering Premier League champions could no longer control matches after they crashed to yet another defeat.
City, now sixth in the table, have dropped 20 points in their last eight Premier League games and lost nine out of 12 in all competitions with defeat at Villa Park, and goals from Jhon Durán and Morgan Rogers. The former City man was the standout player as Pep Guardiola made six changes from the side that lost to Manchester United but admitted he had to rush players back not fully fit.
Speaking to the Norwegian broadcaster Viaplay after the 2-1 defeat, Haaland, who had a single touch in the Villa penalty area all game, said: “It’s not nice at all. It affects us all, of course. It affects me. I haven’t been good enough and I haven’t delivered for City this season. I need to step up and work harder, I just need to get better. It just isn’t good enough. I will do everything I can to do better.
“We’re not able to win matches any more, we can’t control matches like we used to. We used to control matches way more. In the defining moments I’m failing to score, in the defining moments we’re conceding goals. The margins are small and that’s how it is, I will do everything I can to turn this around.”
Haaland has scored four in 11 games although Guardiola was reluctant to blame his players. “I don’t agree with him [Haaland],” Guardiola said. “Without him we would be even worse but I like players to be that way [self-critical]. It’s the only chance we have to get better. There are two options: ‘I judge myself’ [or] the only other situation is blame your side [team-mates]. That depends on them. I don’t agree with Erling because he tried and he needs to be delivered the right balls in the right spots. Now we recover and we fight for the next one.”
Jack Grealish, City’s best attacker in the first half, was goaded by the fans of Villa, the club he left to join City, and responded by holding up three fingers – to signify the Treble he won in his first season. Phil Foden scored a late goal for City. John Stones returned to the team only to come off at half-time injured. Guardiola said Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji also had very little time to train before they played.
Guardiola said the club let Rogers leave in the summer of 2023, when he departed for Middlesbrough, because he was up against players who had brought such success to City for a first-team place. “At some point when they [players like Rogers] arrive they are two or three years younger and there is Kevin [De Bruyne] in their prime and Bernardo [Silva], Riyad [Mahrez], Leroy [Sané] and Raheem [Sterling] and sometimes it’s difficult,” he added.
“It’s the only reason why [Rogers left]. This situation right now, of course these players would be with us [in the first team] but it was in the right moment [then]. I’m happy for him because he’s a lovely guy and he exploded into a top-class player. England have another exceptional player.”
02:42 PM GMT
Morgan Rogers speaks
“We knew they were going to come firing... we knew we had to be at it. We knew if we stick to the game plan and showed our quality we’d cause problems and we did that. I thought we were amazing and deserved the win. I try and thrive in big games and want to show what I’m about. It’s nice to [play well] in the big games.”
02:39 PM GMT
City’s soft centre
A whopping 45.8% of Aston Villa's touches in the attacking half against Man City have been down the central third.
City's soft centre a problem yet again. pic.twitter.com/LBT0RAI0dH— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) December 21, 2024
02:29 PM GMT
MOTM Tielemans speaks
“Yeah, apart from the goal we conceded in the end. I think the performance overall was really good, we fought together, we defended really well and when we had to attack we made the right choices. It was a really good performance. I think the guys at the back did a really good job today. It’s always difficult. We know that they maybe have not won as much as they have the past few years but they are a class side... we showed great character.”
02:27 PM GMT
Tielemans gets the man of the match award
Fair enough, he was excellent, creating attack after attack after attack. Villa up to fifth, above City.
02:25 PM GMT
FULL-TIME: Aston Villa 2 Man City 1
City suffer their ninth defeat in 12 games. Villa excellent and take a deserved three points. City’s woes continue. At what point does Guardiola become sackable? Managers of clubs with worse squads and far worse financial clout have been given the boot for a lot less.
02:23 PM GMT
GOAAAL! City have one back
Phil Foden takes advantage of a bit of confusion in the Villa defence. Or rather that Digne stands and slips on the ball allowing him to slot away from close range.
Not much time left now, a matter of seconds, really...
Aston Villa 2 Man City 1
02:18 PM GMT
88 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
Villa have taken their performance to another level this half. City have been sloppy and generally poor but Villa have exploited that this half without really giving City a sniff this side of half-time. I don’t think the scoreline flatters Villa, if anything it flatters City.
02:16 PM GMT
86 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
City get a rare chance for an attack with a Foden free-kick from deep on the left. Martinez meets it on the six-yard box and punches clear. Grealish picks up a booking for lashing out, I think. Just shoves McGinn in the back a long time after the ball had gone.
02:12 PM GMT
83 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
Nearly a Villa third and that would probably have been their best. They have been so much quicker, more incisive than City. Tielemans starts the move again, finding Rogers in the middle of the park. His reverse pass is picked up by Watkins on the left edge of the box and he fires at goal but finds keeper Orteta. Could he have squared it? Yes. Would it have been a better chance of a goal? Just about, but he’s a striker, so you can hardly have a go at him for it.
02:10 PM GMT
80 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
Ollie Watkins replaces opening goal scorer Jhon Duran as Villa head towards victory.
02:07 PM GMT
77 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
Erling Haaland, who has been playing today apparently, tries to pick the ball up and advance into the box but he fails. He is not to blame for this today but, given all he has done in the last few years, there are probably more deserving subjects for our sympathies.
02:05 PM GMT
74 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
City have a pot shot from 20 yards which Martinez saves easily. Probably their best moment of the half so far...
02:02 PM GMT
72 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
I agree with Sam when he says City look like an old team: right now they are resembling the Derby County side of 2007/8.
02:01 PM GMT
‘Sensational’ Rogers
“A sensational goal from Morgan Rogers, the former City player, who carried it forward and then finished it beautifully when he got it back. His power and craft have epitomised the difference between Villa and City. City just do not have that dynamism. They look like an old team.”
01:58 PM GMT
68 mins - Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
As it stands this would be City’s ninth defeat in 12 games. I cannot recall a fall from form as dramatic as this. I think most of the footballing world are enjoying their demise. Still time left to get something from the game but I would have another Villa goal as much more likely as a City one, let alone two, right now.
01:55 PM GMT
GOAAAAAAAL! Villa 2-0 up
It was coming, you have to say. It’s Morgan Rogers who finishes off another excellent Villa move! McGinn with the assist as Villa just cut open City’s back-line again. Tielemans provided a diversion on the outside and then McGinn squares it to Rogers, who fires it home with his left foot, low past Ortega.
Aston Villa 2 Man City 0
01:52 PM GMT
62 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Would say Villa look the more likely for the next goal. City just look... well, a bit of a mess at the back with Villa undoing them time and time again. That can change in the final 30 minutes or so, of course. Villa with much more possession in the second half so far.
01:50 PM GMT
60 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Rogers has a snap shot in the box after some poor defending from Gvardiol. It’s well saved by Ortega but yet another chance created for Villa... and a good one. They are currently on 0.95xg compared to City’s 0.56, for what it’s worth.
01:48 PM GMT
McGinn effective
“Villa blocking the central areas and forcing City to go wide. John McGinn has been very effective in wide right position. If John Stones has picked up an injury that is another central defensive casualty for Pep Guardiola.”
01:45 PM GMT
54 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
City find some space on the right as Foden finds Grealish with a long ball but Konsa snuffs out the danger on the left. Replays show that Duran was probably a couple of feet offside. Good finish, though. Tielemans is having a hell of a game.
Akanji and Duran, I think, go down under a challenge from the City man. Nothing malicious but probably just the way they both fell. Akanji probably the worse off of the two with Duran falling on top of him.
01:41 PM GMT
51 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
At the other end, Foden finds some space on the edge of the box, shoots from distance but it is well wide.
01:40 PM GMT
50 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Duran has the ball in the back of the net after a wonderful through-ball from Tielemens (again). It was two versus one but as soon as the ball touches the net the flag goes up for offside. Not much in it but he was off. More worries for City, though.
01:38 PM GMT
48 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Again Villa cut open City! Duran goes down in the box off the ball and there are cries for a penalty but play goes on with McGinn who finds Cash in the box on the right. Cash can only fire into the side-netting at the near post, though. Another wasted opportunity for Villa.
01:36 PM GMT
46 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
A foul and a booking for Rico Lewis who hauls Tielemans to break down a dangerous-looking Villa counter attack, the like of which we have seen many times before.
01:34 PM GMT
KICK-OFF!
We are back under way at Villa Park. Can City find a goal to get something out of this game?
01:26 PM GMT
City: ‘Very poor’
“Very poor first half from City. Villa are just so much more dynamic and quick in their attacks. They are happy for City to have the ball and have played effectively on the counterattack. Back at Villa Park, Jack Grealish looks City’s best attacking threat and his full-back Matty Cash is on a booking.”
01:17 PM GMT
HALF-TIME - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Villa make a bit of a mess of an attack by dilly-dallying when they had an advantage. McGinn again slightly slow and Tielemans could have moved the ball a little faster. It ends with Onana standing 20 yards out, the crowd begging for him to shoot but he doesn’t and is robbed of the ball.
A good first half of football which ends with Martinez, Grealish and Haaland having a bit of a set-to after the whistle.
“Lots of arguing around the referee at the half-time whistle. Grealish very unhappy about something – likely his foul count. Martinez also offering his opinion and the two players in an exchange as they go off down the tunnel.”
01:15 PM GMT
43 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Grealish with a great cross into Gvardiola who is free and bearing down on the six-yard box. It’s a bit high and Gvardiol nods it over. Probably could have done better there, did not really get underneath it. Better from City, but most of their problems if not all of them are at the back
01:13 PM GMT
41 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
A bit of a lull in the game now as we head towards half-time. Mr Guardiola has some work to do with his team talk.
01:09 PM GMT
37 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Grealish picks up the ball on the left, gets into the box and lets fly but it’s straight at Martinez in nets. You suspect that, with Cash on a yellow, more will come down the left now.
“The power of Villa when they turn over possession is really notable. A high quality of footballers out there but the likes of Rogers, Onana, Duran, McGinn just seem to have that physical edge on City. When they spot their chance to plunder the ball you really see the difference.”
01:07 PM GMT
35 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Villa break and City are stretched. McGinn with the ball in the middle waits and waits before passing but that allows City to close up and Villa fail to get the shot away as the pass is intercepted. A wasted chance for Villa. Probably should have been a bit more decisive.
A few moments later Cash is finally booked for a foul on Grealish.
01:06 PM GMT
34 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
City’s best chance? Yes. Lewis and Foden link up on the right, Foden gets a shot away from 12 yards out on the right and Martinez is just able to palm it wide of the far post.
01:05 PM GMT
33 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Nearly a chance for Duran as he links up with Rogers again. He cannot quite control the ball under pressure in the box and runs it out, away from goal. City still not certain at the back.
01:02 PM GMT
30 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Villa having to do a fair shift in defending against City here. City not exactly creating chance after chance but are probing with crosses. Onana gives away a free-kick going through the back of a yellow and blue shirt.
12:58 PM GMT
26 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Gvardiol with a dangerous cross into the back post from the left. Haaland is there waiting but Torres nods it away from The Big Norwegian.
12:56 PM GMT
23 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
Grealish gets a bit fortunate with a bounce and gets a chance to shoot on the left corner of the box, a great touch before that slice of fortune, but a shot that was probably 1/10 at best. He slices it horribly and it goes out for a throw-in.
12:54 PM GMT
20 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
A big cheer from the Villa fans as a cross-field ball to Jack Grealish is overhit out of play.
12:52 PM GMT
19 mins - Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
It was still a lovely finish from Duran. Unselfish play from Rogers who had the opportunity to shoot and score himself.
“That Jhon Duran goal came from two simple passes right through the middle of Manchester City. Emi Martinez to Youri Tielemans and right through the heart of City to Morgan Rogers. City never used to give up those kind of chances.”
12:47 PM GMT
GOAAAAL!
Duran puts Villa up after more defensive troubles at the back! Tielemans puts through a wonderful, incisive pass to Morgan Rogers. He charges through on goal, gets into the box and squares it for Duran to slot it home beyond Ortega. Great play from the hosts but City did not deal with that at all well. They are still a mess in defence.
Aston Villa 1 Man City 0
12:47 PM GMT
14 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
Cash all over Grealish and the City man is not happy about it one bit. Cash concedes a free-kick in his own half but avoids a booking. Another one that like and he will certainly go into the book.
City with more of the possession at the moment and have stabilised after that shaky start. They do not look entirely together at the back yet, though.
12:43 PM GMT
12 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
Kovacic has a crack from 20-yards out for City. It’s along the ground but is straight at the keeper.
12:42 PM GMT
10 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
City want a penalty for some wrestling in the box but it is not given by VAR. They get a corner anyway.
12:40 PM GMT
8 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
City get a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left. It’s a decent ball in but Villa (eventually) clear the danger before City come again.
12:37 PM GMT
5 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
Grealish gets the ball on the left and is booed by a section of the Villa fans. Unfair? Sarcastic? Joking. I don’t know. A bit better from City but it could hardly have started much worse.
Grealish gets the ball again on the left, takes a fantastic touch from a long ball from Stones and then beats Cash, goes into the box and fires with the inside of his right foot. It’s quite wide, though.
A few moments later Grealish bursts into the box but cannot shoot in time. Villa then counter but Akanji is there to block a cross from McGinn to Duran and it is another Villa corner.
A pulsating encounter so far.
12:33 PM GMT
2 mins - Aston Villa 0 Man City 0
And City nearly take the lead at the corner! It’s behind for another and this is a very shaky start for Pep Guardiola’s men. Not quite sure what happened in the first one, think it was Torres who headed it goalwards at the front post. Chances for Villa already – and good ones.
12:32 PM GMT
KICK-OFF!
We are under way at Villa Park and Jhon Duran should probably have Villa 1-0 up after a mistake by Gvardiol. Duran picks the ball up, is clear through on goal but has a shot from too far out and the City keeper Ortega saves brilliantly, putting it behind for a corner. Should have run it on further and shot.
12:31 PM GMT
A big afternoon for Grealish
“A great game awaits - a lot of tension for both sides, who each need to win. Also one feels a huge afternoon for Jack Grealish. Back in the Manchester City team for his first start since the win over Nottingham Forest and back at the club of his boyhood.”
12:27 PM GMT
We are nearly ready for kick-off
Predictions? City have been poor away from home and I am expecting that run to continue today. Villa to win by one.
12:22 PM GMT
Some Christmas outfits are more convincing than others
12:15 PM GMT
How bad is City’s form?
Sometimes it’s good to look at the form table if you want to feel better about your club’s prospects after a shaky start. Wouldn’t advise City fans to do that, though. Going by the last six games they would be in 18th with just three points. Going back to the most recent 10 and they climb, at least, a little way up to 14th.
Their opponents today would be 15th and 16th respectively. So, yeah, certainly two sides who could do with a win.
12:00 PM GMT
Guardiola has spoken to TNT Sports
“They trained two or three times, they are important players for us. Ederson is not here, he does not feel good.”
“The solution [to arresting slide in form] is winning games. A top match and try to do our patterns – we really believe and we will try to play better every game.”
“They [Villa] have an incredible team. When I was at Barcelona he was at Valencia and he’s an excellent manager - he won three Europa Leagues in a row. He changed Aston Villa and he’s an exceptional manager.”
11:43 AM GMT
Pep Guardiola orders two-day rest cure to clear Man City players’ heads
Pep Guardiola has revealed he gave Manchester City’s players two days off this week to clear their heads amid the belief his side’s troubles now are all “in our minds”.
City slumped to their eighth defeat in 11 matches in last Sunday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Manchester United when they conceded twice in 115 seconds late in the game.
Read more from James Ducker here.
11:33 AM GMT
The line-ups are in
Villa substitutes: Bailey, Barkley, Bogarde, Buendia, Maatsen, Mings, Nedeljkovic, Olsen, Watkins
City substitutes: Ake, Carson, De Bruyne, Doku, McAtee, Savinho, O’Reilly, Simpson-Pusey, Walker
11:27 AM GMT
Good morning
Welcome to our live coverage of the early Saturday kick-off at Villa Park, where Aston Villa take on defending champions Manchester City. Fair to say that both sides have been out of form recently, though City’s decline has certainly been starker.
Since a 1-0 win at Southampton Pep Guardiola’s men have won just one game from 11, drawing just two of those, which equates to eight defeats in that time. A poor run of form for any team anywhere, let alone a powerhouse like City.
Villa’s recent run has been a little better with three wins from their last four games in all competitions but it has been a concerning period. In fact, since their 2-0 win against Bologna in the Champions League on October 22 – nearly two months ago, calendar fans – those are the only three games they have won from 12, with a total of six defeats in that time. Not quite as bad as City.
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has said that he has no intention of dropping Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian striker going through a relative goal drought. After 10 goals in his first five league games, Haaland has scored just three in the following 11.
“I prefer to play with Erling,” Guardiola said before this weekend. “I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play - absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.
“Always I play false nines for the quality specifically of the players I have in that moment. In some games playing man to man, I love to play against false nines but I have an Erling, I have to adapt.
“I see him well, I see him fine. The reason why maybe he’s not so productive in this situation is for the way we are playing, that we don’t produce the amount of chances that we were able to do in the past.
“When he’s surrounded by two or three or four central defenders it’s not easy for him. We have to play better, to create the spaces for him.”
Guardiola’s opposing number, Unai Emery, has given a vote of confidence to the Catalan manager, calling him “the best”.
“He’s the best. I’m a little bit surprised [about Manchester City’s form], but it’s football. It’s a very tough match and an exciting match for us. We’re respecting them a lot.
“Each team is giving us a lot of information about how we are and how we are facing them. We face the best team from the last few years, clearly, in the Premier League.”
“Maybe they’re not being consistent because of different circumstances, but they are the best and their coach is the best.
“They will again be getting the good performances and they have time to be a winner again in this competition.”
