National media deliver 'magnificent' Aston Villa verdict after huge Man City win
Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive after Unai Emery's side earn a brilliant win over Manchester City in the Premier League
by Isaac Seelochan, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/isaac-seelochan/ · Birmingham LiveAston Villa moved above Premier League champions Manchester City in the table after beating the Cityzens 1-0 on Wednesday.
Unai Emery's side recorded a record-equalling 14th consecutive win in the league at Villa Park thanks to a second-half goal from Leon Bailey. The result puts them just four points behind league leaders Arsenal who they play next.
Wednesday's win was also Emery's first over City boss Guardiola at the 14th attempt. Below is what the national media have said about Villa's win last night...
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The Telegraph
So much for Pep Guardiola’s insistence at the start of the season that Manchester City are heading to their fourth successive title. After a comprehensive defeat by a magnificent Aston Villa, his side have slumped to fourth place in the table, six points behind the leaders Arsenal. Here’s how much they are drifting off the pace: Manchester United – a side who have spent much of the season serving up fodder for comedy writers – are now only three points behind them.
And, as he contemplated the unexpected position of being outplayed, Guardiola did not shy away from the issues afflicting his side.
For the world’s wealthiest sporting brand words like “struggling” will always be relative. Yet, the architect of so much sky-blue success has a point. For the first time since 2017 his side have failed to win four Premier League matches in succession. There can be no question that, for a bunch used to dominating everyone and everywhere, City are in the midst of what passes in their elevated circumstance for a slump.
The Guardian
Pep Guardiola conceded Manchester City are “struggling a little bit” and insisted Aston Villa should be classed as title contenders after they inflicted defeat on his side, extending the champions’ winless run in the Premier League to four matches.
Villa leapfrogged City into third in the table after a record-equalling 14th successive home win courtesy of Leon Bailey’s second-half strike. Victory hoisted Villa to within four points of the leaders Arsenal, whom Villa host on Saturday.
Guardiola said Villa and their manager, Unai Emery, deserve huge credit for the victory. Villa’s 14-game winning run at Villa Park is their best since 1930-31.
BBC Sport
Seconds before a magnificent victory over Manchester City was confirmed, a roar swept around Aston Villa's famous old stadium. It was the sound of something special stirring under manager Unai Emery.
Emery has produced an outstanding body of work since succeeding Steven Gerrard in October 2022 but this was a masterpiece, the biggest statement he has made since arriving at Villa Park. And how those Aston Villa fans loved every moment.
The scoreline , a 1-0 Villa victory, is almost laughably misleading when set against the sheer dominance Emery's team exerted over last season's Treble winners, giving him his first triumph over City manager Pep Guardiola at the 14th attempt.
Daily Mail
At least Pep Guardiola made sure to qualify his statement that Manchester City would win the Premier League this year. They’d retain it playing the way they did against Tottenham and Liverpool was his thesis, rather than a blanket prediction.
A good job, really, because it’s certainly not happening based on last night. Up there with one of the limpest displays of his tenure, a day after he went into bat so defiantly for players who had been accused of complacency by the men on the tele at the weekend.
This had nothing to do with complacency, or a lack of drive or an elongated six-month Treble hangover. It was largely about Aston Villa, better in every department, and about Rodri. Leon Bailey’s winner, with 16 minutes left, was about the right winger filling a Rodri-sized vacancy and City’s three league defeats so far have all been without the Spaniard. It doesn’t take a genius.
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