Nicolas Jackson stuns Manchester City twice as Aston Villa end their unbeaten start

Aston Villa ended Manchester City’s unbeaten Premier League start with a 2-1 victory at Villa Park on Sunday, as Nicolas Jackson’s brace inflicted Enzo Maresca’s first league defeat and kept Unai Emery’s rebuilding side on the rise.

City had won all seven of their opening league fixtures, but Jackson — signed from Chelsea as part of Villa’s ambitious summer overhaul — proved the difference, taking his tally to four goals in four Premier League appearances for his new club.

The Senegal international opened the scoring after just six minutes, punishing a Marc Guehi error before firing into the roof of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s net. Maresca responded at half-time with a double substitution, withdrawing Guehi and Rayan Cherki for Rico Lewis and Phil Foden — the latter having been benched despite scoring a Champions League hat-trick in midweek.

Erling Haaland gave City hope early in the second half, heading in Iliman Ndiaye’s cross to score in a seventh consecutive Premier League game. But Jackson settled the contest moments later, smashing home a low cross from substitute Ibrahim Mbaye that squirmed beneath Donnarumma.

Villa had struggled for form at the start of the campaign, failing to win any of their first four league games, but Emery’s side have now won three of their last four to signal a genuine upturn.

City remain top of the table, though champions Arsenal can draw level on points with a win over Everton at the Emirates later in the day.

The match also carried a charged atmosphere beyond the result. City were playing only their second Premier League away fixture since being found guilty of almost all charges relating to breaches of the league’s financial rules last month. The club have appealed the independent commission’s ruling, but faced sustained hostility from the Villa Park crowd throughout.