Man City’s defensive problems exposed in defeat at Aston Villa

Manchester City’s seven-match winning start to the season ended with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday, leaving manager Enzo Maresca facing questions over a defence that has conceded nine goals in its past four games.

Nicolas Jackson scored in each half at Villa Park. City have kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches, after conceding eight goals in their first nine league games of the campaign.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and centre-back Marc Guehi were both under scrutiny. Each has made three errors leading to Premier League goals since the start of last season; only eight players have made more, according to BBC Sport.

Donnarumma, signed last summer to replace Ederson, has struggled with passing out from the back. He could do little about Jackson’s first goal, but a low shot appeared to squirm under him for Villa’s second. Former City defender Steph Houghton said on BBC Radio 5 Live that the goalkeeper “could probably have done a little bit better”.

Maresca said both goals were avoidable, while adding that City had conceded only two chances. “You have to be clinical and avoid mistakes like the two goals we conceded,” he told TNT Sports.

Guehi was taken off at half-time after a difficult first half. He had been caught out by John McGinn for Villa’s opener and was later booked for bringing down Jackson. Maresca said he was not worried about Guehi’s form, noting that the defender had played every minute for City and England since the season began and was on a yellow card.

City signed Guehi from Crystal Palace for £20m in January. The club had considered a right-back in the summer but instead looked to Abdukodir Khusanov as cover for Matheus Nunes. Khusanov started out wide against Villa before moving inside, with Rico Lewis filling the gap.

Maresca said he needed to “find that balance” in defence. City face Brighton twice next week: in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and the Premier League on Saturday.