Manchester City’s bleak midwinter rolls on as Rogers seals win for Aston Villa
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Happy Christmas, Pep. For Manchester City and Guardiola, this was another painful destruction, an unthinkable ninth defeat in 12 matches for a team who have flipped from formidable to fragile and flat. City have now lost six of their past eight Premier League matches, as many as they gave up en route to the title in 2020-21, the worst of their championship-winning seasons. They could end the weekend as low as ninth.
![[Phil Foden scores a late consolation goal for Manchester City]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c82dc516df0d223a1c09764a90d1541eec8884d1/0_53_3545_2127/master/3545.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Guardiola, in a long black cloak and boots, wandered over to the increasingly bewildered away fans. Then came a deep puff of the cheeks. These are hard times. For Unai Emery and Villa, this was another triumph, Jhon Durán and Morgan Rogers scoring fine goals to overpower the visitors.
If Guardiola was feeling uneasy before kick-off, his players offered nothing in the way of reassurances. From the moment Phil Foden got the ball rolling on halfway, Villa jumped on to the front foot. Within 15 seconds John McGinn hounded Josko Gvardiol and released Durán through on goal. Durán’s shot was unusually weak, allowing Stefan Ortega to parry, but he probably took it too early. From the subsequent corner Pau Torres flicked a header goalwards at the front post, which Ortega somehow kept out, his left hand helping the ball on to the bar and clear. Then came another uncomfortable, this time deep, corner from Lucas Digne, which Ortega pushed over.
Villa fancied themselves. Durán tried another early, speculative shot from a Digne throw-in and Manuel Akanji, who began in the centre of defence with John Stones, had to cut the cord to Durán after McGinn tried to pick out the Colombia striker at the back post. It would not take Durán too long to extend his phenomenal goalscoring run. With 16 minutes gone, he was bumping chests in with Rogers after combining for Villa’s opener. It was a piercing move but a damning one from a City perspective. With three sharp passes Villa ripped the visitors open.
