Aston Villa vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight after Leon Bailey earns draw
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City: Leon Bailey responded after Erling Haaland’s opener to deny the champions
Another goal from Erling Haaland wasn’t enough for Manchester City this time as Leon Bailey’s second-half equalizer salvaged a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa against the defending champion in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Haaland took his tally to 10 goals from six games by volleying in a cross from Kevin de Bruyne in the 50th minute but then missed two chances to score a second before Villa struck back.
Bailey met a low cross from Jacob Ramsey and hammered a first-time shot high into the net in the 74th to rescue a valuable point for Villa, whose manager Steven Gerrard was under heavy pressure after three straight league losses.
For City, it’s a second draw to go with four wins in the opening six games, leaving it tied for second place with Tottenham on points. Leader Arsenal has a chance to go four points clear on Sunday if it can maintain its perfect record when it travels to Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola’s City has made a habit of going two goals down before rallying, but this time it was their turn to relinquish the lead.
Haaland had been quiet in the first half but showed his predatory instincts when he came flying in at the far post to meet a pinpoint cross from De Bruyne, jumping high to side-foot the ball in.
The towering Norway striker forced two good saves from Emiliano Martinez as City pushed for a second goal.
That left the visitors open to counterattacks, though, and Ramsey had already squandered one such opportunity with a heavy touch by the time he set up Bailey for the equalizer.
Midfielder Rodri came closest to a winner for City when his shot from outside the area crept narrowly wide in the 87th.
Aston Villa 1-1 Man City
86 mins: Close! An Aston Villa mix-up gives the ball to City high up the pitch. Rodri gets it and checks to the right before drilling a low effort towards the bottom left corner.
Martinez dives across but he’s not getting there and luckily for Villa the effort rolls narrowly wide.
Aston Villa 1-1 Man City
83 mins: Aston Villa believe. They’re throwing themselves into the midfield challenges and looking to drive forward at any opportunity. The game is there to be won - by either team.
Less than 10 minutes to go.
Aston Villa 1-1 Man City
80 mins: Coutinho scores a beaut of a goal from just outside the box but the whistle has already gone for an offside and it doesn’t count.
Kyle Walker is taken off by Pep Guardiola with Nathan Ake coming on.
Aston Villa 1-1 Man City
77 mins: Emi Martinez smothers a through ball and pulls up as he gets to his feet. He signals to the Villa bench to come off but after a check from the physios seems to be okay to play on.
That’s one to keep an eye on for Steven Gerrard.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 Man City (74’, Bailey)⚽️
74 mins: Beautiful from Leon Bailey! City try to head the ball away from their own box but it’s won by Villa and played down to Jacob Ramsey.
Ramsey drives into the left side of the box and fizzes the ball across to Bailey who meets it with a powerful left-footed strike that flies into the back of the net.
Great goal.
Aston Villa 0-1 Man City
73 mins: Riyad Mahrez comes on to take the place of Bernardo Silva for Manchester City.
Aston Villa 0-1 Man City
70 mins: Save! Martinez denies Haaland a second with a sharp save to his left. Ramsey overcommits himself in midfield allowing space to open up for De Bruyne.
De Bruyne drives into it before giving the ball to Haaland in the box. He peels away from the defender and drills one at goal but it’s a confortable height for Martinez to turn away.
Aston Villa 0-1 Man City
68 mins: Mings fouls Haaland right on the edge of the ’D’ and City have a fantastic chance to double their lead. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan stand over the ball but there’s only going to be one man taking this.
De Bruyne gets the ball over the wall and it dips just enough to land on the crossbar! Emi Martinez was rooted to the spot, a couple of inches lower and that’s a goal!
Aston Villa 0-1 Man City
65 mins: De Bruyne aims for Haaland with every cross he puts in the middle. Konsa and Mings are having to work so hard to ensure the ball doesn’t reach the big striker and somehow they manage to get the ball away.
Phillipe Coutinho comes on to replace John McGinn for Aston Villa.
Aston Villa 0-1 Man City
62 mins: Bernardo and De Bruyne are lethal when they get it to click on the right wing for City. Slick passes between each other to get the ball into the box before De Bruyne’s ball across the middle is blocked behind by Mings.
De Bruyne takes the resultant corner and finds Stones in the box. He can’t turn it at goal and Boubacar Kamara runs it clear.
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