The sight of Erling Haaland gingerly hobbling away after having a late equaliser ruled out at Villa Park on Sunday summed up his and Manchester City's disappointing afternoon. The Norway frontman has been in prolific form this season with 24 goals for club and country approaching the end of October, but his 12-game scoring streak and City's nine-match unbeaten run ground to halt with a stumble in the Midlands.

Villa had beaten City here in December and Unai Emery's side turned the clock back to the end of 2024 by edging another victory courtesy of Matty Cash's well-struck first-half winner. Pep Guardiola's side started brightly but looked lethargic in parts and without their star striker firing, there was no goalscoring assistance being provided from any of his team-mates.

In a week where he launched his YouTube channel and revealed his love for raw milk, Haaland and his team-mates went back to the north west with a sour taste in their mouths. "We haven't scored a lot of goals this season and we have to make a step up," admitted Guardiola. "Today it is difficult because they defended really well. We were there, we were close. In the games we won we were not so productive.

"It is a Champions League team, unfortunately for them they are not there, but they are a top top team for many years and will compete very well. They are in a good way. "In general, I don't have many complaints. Little details but in general good."

Haaland is currently running away with the Premier League's Golden Boot with 11 goals and such has been City's reliance on him that the side's next highest top scorer does not even play for them. Unlucky Frenchman Maxime Esteve's two goals at Etihad Stadium for Burnley puts him next on the list, with Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes and Rayan Cherki contributing one apiece.

Boss Guardiola had asked for his wingers and midfielders to step but they failed to do so and it proved costly with, what could be, a damaging defeat come May. Haaland did have opportunities against Villa but failed to take them, missing a gilt-edged chance immediately after his side went behind, running through and having a low shot smothered by Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine goalkeeper plucked out another Haaland header from the air in the second half and when he was beaten just before the end, the offside flag came to his rescue.

Haaland collided heavily with the post in the aftermath, slumping down the tunnel with his head bowed at full-time and Guardiola said he had not spoken to his player, but "hopefully he is fine". With 15 goals scored so far and netting 34 in an injury-hit campaign last term, City cannot begin to bear the thought of being without their main man at any point this season.

Villa boss Emery said: "We tried tactically and in individual performance to get duels with him, intelligently, with the power we showed. "Then we had some help from defensive cover and also the goalkeeper. We needed everything to stop him."

City's injury crisis meant Guardiola dipped into the transfer market in January by signing four players, and he brought in another six during the summer, but only keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Reijnders started at Villa. Attackers Omar Marmoush and Cherki were introduced from the substitutes' bench in the second half after recovering from injuries and the two now need to step up to ease the burden on Haaland's shoulders.

City's next league game comes at home to high-flying Bournemouth next Sunday and Guardiola has a decision to make whether he throws both of them in for that important encounter. City failed to capitalise on champions Liverpool's loss at Brentford on Saturday and, though still in the infancy of the campaign, they have fallen six points behind league leaders Arsenal after the Gunners edged past Crystal Palace. In the context of the title race, there are concerning signs for City.

Defeat at Villa was their third in their first nine games of the campaign, last suffering such a run back in the 2007-08 season. Guardiola's apprentice Mikel Arteta and his side are finally looking like the finished article after finishing runners-up in the past three seasons and City have left themselves with little margin for error, even at this early juncture.

Captain Bernardo Silva felt the side had created chances, but was particularly critical of the team's efforts defensively, saying the pressing was "really bad" and players arrived "two seconds late to every duel".

Guardiola, who has led City to six Premier League crowns during his time in charge, was not getting drawn into conversations about the title at this stage. "We try to close [the gap]," he added. "Arsenal have been solid for many years. The concern is how we improve better to be close.

"From my experience, it is so long. There are many teams there - Bournemouth are doing really well - and we try to do our game. "Our job is not to watch the title. If they win all their games and win the Premier League, congratulate them. But i feel that the team is alive, it's good."