Tijjani Reijnders sums up what Man City lost in four minutes of Aston Villa defeat

Manchester City were nine games unbeaten when they headed to Aston Villa but weren't good enough and suffered a defeat

Manchester City players can't say they weren't warned. Pep Guardiola said his team could not continue to rely on Erling Haaland so heavily for goals and as the Norwegian's 11-game scoring run ended so too did City's nine matches unbeaten.

Returning to the scene of one of their lowest moments last season in the depths of their crisis of injuries and identity, City should have been galvanised by their recent form yet instead produced one of their poorest performances of the season to dent their momentum. Yet again, the absence of Rodri could only count for so much.

Guardiola said ahead of the first Premier League game that he had three players he could use in defensive midfield: Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, and Nico Gonzalez. Two others, Reijnders and Ilkay Gundogan, could play there if needed but it wasn't their best position, he added.

With one of those five now playing his football in Istanbul and three others not deemed fit enough to start, the burden of the Rodri role fell to Reijnders - someone whose best so far for the Blues has been making runs into the opposition box rather than winning duels to protect the defence.

It went as expected - and the player can't really be blamed given he was at best fourth-choice for the position. Reijnders, one of the players signed to ensure City improved this season, was at the heart of a team performance that bordered on chaotic as Aston Villa seized the initiative.

Soon after the restart with City trailing, Phil Foden backheeled the ball forward to the Dutch international and his eyes lit up. With space in front, he galloped up the pitch as happily as he had against Wolves but as he reached the Villa box he chose poorly and screwed a shot comfortably wide.

Minutes later, he was booked from the left-back position bringing down Ollie Watkins as City's midfield was again pulled out of position as they had been 10 months ago. It would be one of four yellows City picked up on the day - more than in their last three league games combined.

City were better in the second half and did pressure for an equaliser. Gonzalez, Nico O'Reilly and Jeremy Doku all improved the team when they came on for the final half-hour.

But it was not enough, and fitting in a way that Haaland's late goal was ruled out when Omar Marmoush - another player brought to bring City out of the depths they had plumbed to at the end of 2024 - strayed marginally offside before supplying the ball.

One defeat does not undo the good work of the nine unbeaten before it, but just as Liverpool learned they cannot rely on late winners to put together a title challenge so City must have more than Haaland and Rodri.

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