Aston Villa managed a superb victory against struggling Manchester City, with a 2-1 win at Villa Park. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers gave the Villans a 2-0 lead, before Phil Foden scored a consolation goal in the 93rd minute, making it 2-1.
Unai Emery’s side held 44% possession, took 11 shots in the game, but still generated 1.67 xG and created four big chances. Despite Manchester City holding more of the ball, and taking more shots (12), they only produced two big chances and generated 1.03 xG.
Stealing the headlines after his excellent goal in the 65th minute was Rogers, who not only scored, but also set up the first Villa goal, and provided some true moments of quality against his former club.
Morgan Rogers' performance vs Man City
Everything Villa did in forward areas came through Rogers, creating both of the goals, completing two key passes, succeeding with five of his seven dribble attempts and winning eight of his 12 duels.
The 22-year-old’s ability to carry the ball in central areas, escape man-to-man pressure, and deliver the final touch, whether that is a pass or a shot, has been improving week after week.
Since joining the club last season for a fee of around just £8m (which could rise to £16m if all add-ons are met), Rogers has made 39 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals, providing five assists and totalling 2,902 minutes played.
But despite being so involved, there is another Villa man who orchestrated proceedings and continues to impress following a brilliant performance against Man City, with Jamie Carragher even stating he’s been “excellent” this season back in October.
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That being said, he and Duran were not the only standout performers for Emery’s side.
Youri Tielemans' performance vs Man City
Youri Tielemans has already made 69 appearances for the club since joining in the 2023/24 season, scoring four goals, providing 13 assists and totalling 4,703 minutes played.
But the main source of his praise has been from his pass appreciation in midfield, and his ability to control the game in central zones.
The 27-year-old Belgian has received high praise in the last 12 months, with Filip Joos stating “Tielemans can be mentioned in the same breath as Lukaku, De Bruyne and Vertonghen” and he showed exactly why against De Bruyne’s side this weekend, handed an 8/10 rating by Birmingham Live.
Minutes
90
Touches
46
Accurate Passes
27/35
Key Passes
2
Crosses
1/2
Long Balls
2/2
Ground Duels Won
4/6
Tackles
3
Interceptions
1
Tielemans started things off for Villa’s first goal, sliding a lovely pass between the Manchester City midfield lines to Rogers, who then managed to find Duran for the opener. The Belgian did this throughout, probing when he got on the ball, making passes between the lines and forcing City to retreat.
But his defensive impact was also important, winning four of his six ground duels, making three tackles and one interception. He was playing a hybrid role out of possession, looking to apply pressure alongside Duran at times, but also dropping off to cover City’s midfield pivot and their central progression route.
Despite the signing of Belgian teammate Amadou Onana, the return of Boubacar Kamara and the signing of Ross Barkley, Tielemans’ performances continue to make him an undroppable asset to Emery’s side, with his midfield qualities being so important to the team’s functionality.
There was, of course, irony about Rogers performing well against his former employers but lest we forget that Guardiola rates Tielemans pretty highly too, having looked to sign him as a teenager at Anderlecht.
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