Aston Villa 1-0 Man City: Erling Haaland fails to score as Pep Guardiola demands a 'step up'

Aston Villa secured a victory over Manchester City at Villa Park, highlighted by Matty Cash's first-half winning goal. The match saw Erling Haaland's late equalizer disallowed, and he was observed hobbling off the field, symbolizing a disappointing performance for both him and his team.

This result ended Haaland's 12-game scoring streak and Manchester City's nine-match unbeaten run, with Villa repeating their December victory over City. Despite a bright start, City appeared lethargic and failed to score, as no teammates provided goal-scoring support in Haaland's absence of form during the game.

Pep Guardiola acknowledged the team's struggles, stating that they need to improve their goal-scoring and praised Villa's defensive efforts. He noted that while City was competitive in the match, they were not productive enough in their chances, and he had few overall complaints about the performance.

Haaland, who leads the Premier League's Golden Boot race with 11 goals, missed key opportunities against Villa, including a clear chance saved by Emiliano Martinez. City's reliance on Haaland is evident, as their next highest scorers include players from other teams, emphasizing the lack of contributions from wingers and midfielders as requested by Guardiola.