Ally McCoist blown away by 'absolutely magnificent' Aston Villa player as Guardiola gives 'so strong' verdict
He did something very impressive...
It was a pass any footballer from Manchester City’s decade of Premier League dominance would have been proud of.
The sort of pass Kevin de Bruyne made his trademark at the Etihad. A pass that would stand out even in the most detailed compilations of Bernardo Silva, Yaya Toure or David Silva’s finest moments in the sky blue shirt.
Unfortunately for Pep Guardiola – a ninth defeat in 12 games now for his crisis-ridden champions – it was also a pass which came from the boot of an Aston Villa player.
Youri Tielemans bisected the entire Manchester City backline in the build up to Jhon Duran’s early opener at Villa Park. Wonderfully weighted and beautifully placed, few footballers would even conceive of such a ball let alone have the ability to produce it.
Tielemans is in the best form of his Villa career – one Belgian reporter thinks the former Leicester ace is better than Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong in his current nick – and this epitomised a man at the top of his game.
Ally McCoist loved Youri Tielemans role in Aston Villa opener
“What a pass it is this is!” Ally McCoist raved during TNT Sport’s live coverage, Tielemans producing something out of very little as he found Morgan Rogers, the in-form forward then rolling the ball square for Duran to thrash home.
“Absolutely magnificent. This is an absolutely beautiful goal. Man alive, that is magic. What a pass it is. Fabulous.”
‘Fabulous’ is certainly not a word that can be used to describe Manchester City’s form right now. Or, indeed, Guardiola’s mood.
Aston Villa overtook City into fifth place as Rogers added a well-taken goal to his earlier assist. Guardiola has tasted only one Premier League victory, meanwhile, since Man City beat Southampton – the only team in worse form than them right now across the whole of the division – back in October.
“We made a really good first-half. Second-half, we dropped. Congratulations Aston Villa,” Guardiola sighed, problems mounting and a remarkable run of defeats getting longer with every week.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss highlights Aston Villa’s organisation and strength out of possession as a major factor in the home side’s statement win.
Tielemans, Amadou Onana and the exceptional Boubacar Kamara completed 12 tackles combined as Villa held City at arms’ length until Phil Foden scored a 93rd minute consolation.
Pep Guardiola hails Aston Villa’s organisation after Manchester City loss
“In the mid-block, [Villa] are so strong. We have good moments, we had chances, more chances than in the [Manchester] United game but, in the second-half, we dropped and our pressing was not good enough,” Guardiola reflects.
“We struggled a little bit. We found a goal in the end, but too late. We struggle to score and we concede goals.”
Aston Villa have endured a slump of their own in recent times. Emery appears to have dug his side out of a hole, however, in a manner in which Guardiola will be desperate to replicate. That eventual 2-1 win over Manchester City means Aston Villa have celebrated four wins in their last five games, bouncing back from last week’s stoppage time loss at Nottingham Forest.
Their in-form striker – Alan Shearer loving what he’s seeing from Jhon Duran just like everyone of a claret and blue persuasion – has now scored in four successive matches.
Ollie Watkins, back from a spell on the sidelines with injury, suddenly faces serious doubts about his place in the Aston Villa XI for the first time since he arrived from Brentford in a £28 million deal four-and-a-half years ago.
What's Your Reaction?
