Aston Villa 2-1 Man City: Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers on target for the Villans as Pep Guardiola’s side fall to their sixth league defeat of the season

Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan wandered back inside with hands over their mouths. In conversation rather than shock because this is no surprise anymore. 

Heaven knows what they could have been discussing – all of that has been done as well. Manchester City must be all talked out.

Insipid again. Uninspiring on the ball. Lacking backbone without it. We’ve seen all that before. It’s the rubbish Christmas film on repeat and the remote’s been lost down the back of the sofa.

Recording the number of points they are adrift of Liverpool is a pointless exercise now and City could conceivably by ninth by the end of the weekend.

Aston Villa gently leapfrogged them, led by Youri Tielemans and a young man in Morgan Rogers who City let go for relative peanuts. Rogers was instrumental in the opener, scored the clincher and will feel he has proven something of a point to a club who he believes never gave him an opportunity to showcase what might be possible. 

Rogers bounced between loan spells – some good, some indifferent – before Middlesbrough took a punt and made a fine profit on him. He’s now an England international. Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavio and Liam Delap haven’t done badly elsewhere either. James McAtee – who can’t buy a minute, let alone a start – will likely see his career head in a similar direction if he ever departs. 

Goals from Morgan Rogers and Jhon Duran saw Aston Villa defeat Man City on Saturday

There was no reprieve for the champions amid their alarming slump as Villa put them to the sword

Pep Guardiola’s side have now won just one of their last 12 games in all competitions

That’s bigger picture stuff and speaking of which, City were making it known in the minutes before a ninth defeat in 12 that the idea of them signing three or four players next month is ‘fantasy’. 

Anybody who thinks that level of churn isn’t required immediately might as well take up residence in Magic Kingdom. 

In the here and now, Guardiola cannot find a way out of this rut which, given Everton, Leicester, West Ham and Salford City are next, should come to a decisive end soon but it is a brave person to predict that with certainty. ‘I look forward to Everton,’ Guardiola said, grinning. ‘We are not consistent. But I look at the players with pride.’

Coming out of their own malaise in recent weeks, Villa had the playbook. Sit and wait for City to mess up with a laboured press. Hit them on the break, preying on a misshapen midfield and shot back four. It could and should have been worse than a one-goal defeat. 

Keep it tight, no messing about early doors might have been the quite reasonable message by Guardiola as they went out. If it was then those words went unheeded, Stefan Ortega – in for the injured Ederson – making two huge saves in the opening 150 seconds from Jhon Duran and Pau Torres. 

City were creating bits and bobs in a half they dominated the ball without truly threatening. Jack Grealish, often the free man, couldn’t manipulate enough bend on one effort and later saw a cross glanced over by Josko Gvardiol. 

Villa supporters, whose jeering later saw Grealish accompanied down the tunnel by a security guard, were cheered by their former hero slicing a shot for a throw-in. 

Villa led long before then, beating a non-existent defensive unit parted by one Youri Tielemans pass. John Stones was out of position and Rogers galloped clear, saw Duran in his periphery and the striker bounced past Ortega. 

Stefan Ortega was forced into action early and produced a phenomenal save to deny Duran

Tensions between the two teams came close to boiling over at half time as Jack Grealish clashed with Emi Martinez

Guardiola’s arms were folded with an air of grim acceptance while watching Kovacic drown when following the Rogers run. 

That has been a theme of City’s demise. No protection in midfield – or players in that area overcommitting to nick possession they have no business doing – and then panicked defenders incapable of dealing with the pace flooding at them.

That and injuries, Stones off again with another one. Out of responses, Guardiola actually managed to crack a funny on that when asked if Stones had been replaced for tactical reasons or not. 

‘I would say I’m not in the right moment to make tactical and creative changes,’ he smiled. ‘This is a moment where I cannot overthink.’

Troubling passages kept coming, again when Duran just strayed offside before believing he’d nicked a second.

‘In the second half their confidence was going down and ours was increasing,’ Unai Emery said. ‘It was fantastic how the players responded to everything we had worked on before’

Duran almost robbed Ortega of possession inside the away box; Rogers rode challenges to smash into the post. Warnings seem optional at City though. 

With 25 minutes left, in what had been a painful second-half display, the visitors allowed Rogers to go running. He ran and ran, probably around 50 yards.

Unai Emery’s side started the second half brightly and doubled their advantage through Rogers

Phil Foden netted for the visitors deep into stoppage time but could not inspire a comeback

He took three defenders out of the game but that description is almost overdoing the piece of trickery.

 He was afforded the space to go running and, once becoming bored and popping off to McGinn, was then given space by half-time substitute Kyle Walker to slash across Ortega.

A moment Rogers deserved. Not just for this performance, where he was a constant thorn, but for the journey that saw him reach this point. That one of his crowning days as a Villa star came against former employers will taste very sweet indeed. 

‘He’s a lovely guy and has exploded,’ Guardiola said. ‘At the time, Kevin was in his prime. In his (Rogers) situation now, he would be with us.’

Phil Foden fired in a consolation after a Lucas Digne mistake, although a comeback was never on. ‘We scored a goal,’ rang from the away end. At least their humour remains intact.