Birmingham, Dec 21 (IANS): Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City in a gripping Premier League clash at Villa Park. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers sealed the win, leaving City frustrated as their recent struggles continued.

Villa started brightly, with City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega producing two stunning saves in the opening minute to deny Jhon Duran and Pau Torres. However, the hosts broke through in the 16th minute when Duran converted his 12th goal of the season. Youri Tielemans set up the Colombian striker with a perfectly threaded pass, leaving Duran to finish clinically from 12 yards.

A superb City attack, sparked by a wonderful Gvardiol surge upfield on 43 minutes then saw the Croatian glance a header over the bar as he sought to convert Grealish’s inviting cross with Martinez caught in no-man’s land.

City opted to make a half-time switch with Kyle Walker replacing John Stones. Villa doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Morgan Rogers found space in the box to slot home a left-footed strike after impressive build-up play. Rogers, a former Manchester City Academy graduate, played a pivotal role throughout the match, showcasing his attacking prowess.

City pushed for a response, with Foden testing Martinez once more. Deep in injury time, Foden’s persistence paid off as he scored from close range, marking his first Premier League goal of the season.

Despite a late surge, City couldn’t find the equaliser as Villa held firm to claim all three points. The result sees Villa climb to fifth in the Premier League table, overtaking City, who continue to grapple with a challenging run of form. Aston Villa moved past Manchester City on the Premier League table as the defending champions fell to sixth place in the table.