Aston Villa 2-1 Man City: Jackson double ends Maresca's perfect start

Manchester City's run of seven Premier League wins from the start of the season is over. Nicolas Jackson scored both goals as Aston Villa won 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday, a header from City's Erling Haaland in between counting for nothing, and Villa finally won a league game at home this season.

Two errors, two finishes

Villa pressed City hard and were ahead inside 10 minutes. Villa's John McGinn robbed City defender Marc Guehi deep in the City half and Jackson finished. The pressing never let up: according to Sky Sports, Villa made more tackles before half-time than in any first half of a Premier League game this season or last.

City still had chances. Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, signed from Parma in the summer, kept out City's Rayan Cherki, and City's Iliman Ndiaye struck the base of the far post. Guehi, booked for pulling down Jackson on the edge of the box, did not come out for the second half; Abdukodir Khusanov moved into the middle and Rico Lewis came on.

Haaland levelled early in the second half, heading in a cross from Ndiaye, and Suzuki then pushed a shot from City's Josko Gvardiol onto the bar. Villa scored again on the hour. Jackson's hooked ball released substitute Ibrahim Mbaye, Jackson ran on into the box and met Mbaye's cross first time, and the low shot slipped under City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Late on, Villa's Ian Maatsen had to clear a goal-bound Haaland header.

Our match data shows City with 15 shots to Villa's 8, and 7 on target to Villa's 2. Both of Villa's went in. Former City defender Steph Houghton told BBC Radio 5 Live that "Donnarumma, especially with the second goal, could probably have done a little bit better."

Maresca: not clinical enough

City coach Enzo Maresca, beaten in the league for the first time this season, blamed his attack as much as his defence. "We lost because we were not being clinical enough in their box," he said. On Guehi's form, Maresca said: "No, I'm not worried about Marc at all." He added that the change was also because Guehi was on a yellow card.

The numbers behind the defeat are about the back line. BBC Sport counts nine goals conceded by City in their last four matches and one clean sheet in six. In the league they have let in 9 in 8 games, against 5 for Arsenal.

Jackson's Villa start

Jackson, the 25-year-old Senegal striker signed from Chelsea to replace Ollie Watkins, now has six goals in his last six games and seven in 11 for Villa, per BBC Sport. He played under Villa manager Unai Emery at Villarreal, and the win came on the fourth anniversary of Emery's appointment at Villa. "The players, the manager, the team - everything is incredible," Jackson told BBC Match of the Day. Villa defender Matty Cash said of his manager: "He's always got a new plan and new ideas."

What it changes

Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 later in the day through centre-backs Ezri Konsa and Gabriel, so the top two are now level on 21 points. City stay first on goal difference, +11 to Arsenal's +8. Brighton are third on 16 with a game in hand, at Liverpool on Sunday. Villa climb to sixth on 11 points. Haaland's goal was his eighth of the league season, the most of any player.

City play Brighton twice in the coming week: in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and in the Premier League on Saturday.