Erling Haaland limped off with the look of a man who had carried an entire attack and found the weight too heavy to bear. A late equaliser wiped out by the offside flag left him hobbling away from Villa Park and Manchester City nursing a rare, sour afternoon.
Haaland arrived at the clash in ruthless form, piling up goals for club and country and riding a 12-game scoring streak that made him feel untouchable.
That run and City’s nine-match unbeaten momentum both halted in the Midlands as Matty Cash’s well-struck first-half finish delivered Villa a narrow victory and a reminder that even the fiercest streaks can be broken.
With Haaland misfiring and chances scarce, the wider problem was exposed: City’s supporting cast did not step up. Pep Guardiola had asked his wingers and midfielders to share the burden and they failed to deliver.
Opportunities came and went for Haaland, Emiliano Martínez stood tall to smother a low effort, clawed away a header, and when Haaland thought he had been rescued by fate, the offside flag intervened instead.
Unai Emery’s side executed a disciplined game plan, pressing Haaland with physical duels and tight defensive cover that forced City into frustration. Villa treated the Norway striker as the match’s fulcrum and rallied every resource to snuff him out, with their goalkeeper and defenders proving decisive in tipping the balance.
Guardiola’s summer and January tinkering has left a patchwork squad, with only a handful of new signings starting at Villa. Replacements came from the bench but now face the pressure of proving they can lift the scoring burden from Haaland.
City cannot afford prolonged stretches without goals from their talisman, and the sight of him leaving the pitch with his head bowed will haunt planning in the weeks ahead.
City’s defeat came at an unfortunate time. Liverpool’s slip had offered a chance to gain ground and Arsenal continue to set the pace, leaving City fifth and looking vulnerable.
Bernardo Silva criticised the team’s pressing and defensive timing, and Guardiola refused to be drawn into premature title talk while urging improvement.
The message is clear: Haaland remains indispensable, but if Manchester City want to reclaim dominance, the rest of the squad must step up now.
