Resilient Villa deny City top spot

Champions Manchester City drew for the second time this season mising the chance to go top of the log as Leon Bailey’s equaliser earned Aston Villa an excellent draw at Villa Park.

The league’s top goalscorer Erling Haaland got his 10th goal in six games when he was in the right place at the back post to volley in Kevin de Bruyne’s superb cross.

After scoring in the 50th minute, Haaland had another two efforts saved by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez and De Bruyne also hit the crossbar with a 22-yard free-kick.

Those missed chances proved costly as Bailey struck a sweet first-time shot into the top corner from Jacob Ramsey’s square pass to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute.

Villa thought they had scored a winner when Philippe Coutinho put the ball in the net off the underside of the bar but the assistant referee had already put his flag up for offside.

City would have moved above Arsenal, who play at Manchester United on Sunday, with a win, but instead are second, one point behind the Gunners.

City started in typically dominant mood, with Kyle Walker blazing over and Kevin De Bruyne lashing wide inside the opening 10 minutes.

Villa withstood that early pressure, though, and almost took the lead in the 38th minute when Ollie Watkins’ effort was deflected narrowly wide by John Stones.

City went ahead in the 50th minute with their first shot on target, Haaland stealing in at the back post to convert De Bruyne’s looping cross.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker almost had a second shortly after the hour mark, yet his instinctive effort was kept out by the legs of Emiliano Martinez.

De Bruyne then clipped the top of the crossbar with a free-kick from 20 yards, before Martinez again denied Haaland.

Villa snatched a point on a rare foray forward as Bailey whipped home from 15 yards after being picked out by Jacob Ramsey.