Manchester City’s Invincibility Crumbles in Aston Villa ShockManchester City’s Invincibility Crumbles in Aston Villa Shock Manchester City’s relentless march towards an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title suffered a major setback as they fell to a surprising 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday. The Citizens had not lost a league match since April 2021, a remarkable 37-game unbeaten streak. However, Villa, buoyed by the home crowd at Villa Park, produced a stunning performance to end City’s dominance. Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead in the 12th minute with a close-range finish. City responded through İlkay Gündoğan’s equalizer in the 32nd minute, but Philippe Coutinho restored Villa’s lead just before halftime. In a pulsating second half, Sergio Agüero once again leveled the scores for City in the 64th minute. But Villa’s resolve proved unbreakable as Jacob Ramsey scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute, sending shockwaves through the Premier League. The defeat marked the first time in over 18 months that City had lost a league match and was only their second in 53 Premier League games. It also handed Liverpool a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table. For Aston Villa, the victory was a huge scalp that lifted them to 12th place in the standings. Manager Steven Gerrard hailed his team’s performance as “one of the best since I’ve been here.” “We defended heroically, we showed great character, and we were brave on the ball,” said Gerrard. “It’s a great three points, and it gives us belief that we can compete with anyone.” For Manchester City, the defeat served as a reminder that even the most dominant teams are vulnerable. Manager Pep Guardiola admitted that Villa “deserved to win” and that his team “made a lot of mistakes.” “We have to accept it,” said Guardiola. “We’ve had an incredible run, but we need to learn from this and come back stronger.” With Manchester City’s unbeaten streak broken, the Premier League title race is once again wide open. Liverpool will be hoping to capitalize on their rivals’ slip-up in their upcoming match against Arsenal on Sunday.
