Manchester City's horror run of form continued on Saturday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola's side beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Villa made the breakthrough in the 16th minute of the contest, with Jhon Duran picking out the back of the net with an excellent finish after Morgan Rogers had rolled a pass into his teammate at the conclusion of a fast break from the hosts.
Duran had another goal disallowed early in the second period for offside, before Rogers struck the post with a powerful drive.
Villa were not to be denied, though, scoring a second in the 65th minute through Rogers, who sent one across Man City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to make it an incredibly difficult task for the reigning champions.
Phil Foden did register in the final moments to give Man City some slight hope, but Villa managed to clear their lines late on to secure a well-deserved three points.
The result has moved Unai Emery's side above Man City into fifth spot in the Premier League table, with the Citizens still nine points off the pace being set by Liverpool at the summit, while the Reds now have two games in hand on Guardiola's strugglers.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Man City have now lost nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions, which is simply staggering; six of those defeats have come in the Premier League, and this loss surely marks the end of their title hopes for the season.
A response to the 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the Manchester derby would have left everyone associated with the champions feeling a lot better about themselves, but it never threatened to be a positive afternoon, even considering Foden's late goal.
Villa were ahead in the 16th minute before adding a deserved second in the 65th minute, and worryingly, there was just no response from Man City, who look a defeated outfit.
Erling Haaland has been their only reliable goalscorer this season, but he was not in the match, while the likes of Bernardo Silva, Foden - despite his goal - and Jack Grealish all struggled once again.
Man City have to dust themselves off once again and hope that better times are ahead, but Villa deserve huge credit for what was a dominant performance against the champions.
Emery's side went eight games without a win not too long ago, but they have now been victorious in four of their last five matches in all competitions and have boosted their top-four hopes with this success, with the team now level on points with fourth-placed Forest.
ASTON VILLA VS. MAN CITY HIGHLIGHTS
Jhon Duran goal vs. Man City (16th min, Villa 1-0 Man City)
Villa make the breakthrough in the 16th minute of the contest, with Duran expertly picking out the back of the net following a clever pass from Rogers - more pain for the champions, who fall behind at Villa Park.
Morgan Rogers goal vs. Man City (65th min, Villa 2-0 Man City)
Villa have their second of the match on home soil, with Rogers firing across Ortega after smart work from John McGinn - Man City just cannot get out at the moment, and they have been punished once again by the classy hosts.
Phil Foden goal vs. Aston Villa (93rd min, Villa 2-1 Man City)
Foden registers for Man City in the final moments, as he smashes into the bottom corner from inside the box, but surely it is too late for the champions to claim an unlikely point at Villa Park?
MAN OF THE MATCH - MORGAN ROGERS
Duran deserves a mention in this category, but Rogers was the star of the show on Saturday, with Man City simply unable to deal with his pace and power over the course of his 90 minutes on the field.
Rogers set up Duran for 1-0 before scoring a brilliant second for Villa in the 65th minute, while he had four shots, completed three dribbles and finished with a pass success rate of 86% during an excellent performance.
ASTON VILLA VS. MAN CITY MATCH STATS
Possession: Aston Villa 45%-55% Man City
Shots: Aston Villa 11-12 Man City
Shots on target: Aston Villa 6-6 Man City
Corners: Aston Villa 5-4 Man City
Fouls: Aston Villa 14-7 Man City
BEST STATS
WHAT NEXT?
Villa will be bidding to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to Newcastle United on Boxing Day, and this victory will have given them huge confidence ahead of that contest.
As for Man City, the Citizens will be aiming to avoid a fourth straight defeat in all competitions when they welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
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