Man City's leaky defence highlights Donnarumma & Guehi struggles

What the report says

Manchester City’s perfect start to their Premier League season ended with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, a result that exposed problems at the back for manager Enzo Maresca to address. BBC Sport reported that Nicolas Jackson scored twice for Villa at Villa Park, while City have now kept only one clean sheet in their last six matches and have conceded nine goals across their past four games.

The article focused on the form of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and centre-back Marc Guehi, both of whom have made three errors leading to Premier League goals since the start of last season, according to the report. Donnarumma, signed last summer, was said to have struggled with distribution and may have done better for Villa’s second goal, while Guehi was involved in a shaky defensive display and was substituted at half-time after being booked.

Maresca said both goals were avoidable and stressed that City created enough chances to get more from the game. BBC Sport noted that City have still started the campaign strongly overall, but the loss left them needing to tighten their defence if they are to remain serious title contenders. The report also pointed to a busy week ahead, with Brighton due to face City twice in quick succession in the League Cup and Premier League.