Man City's Leaky Defence Exposed as Villa Ends Perfect Start

Manchester City's perfect start to the Premier League season is over. Their run of winning every game came to an abrupt end against Aston Villa, and the result has left Enzo Maresca with a defensive problem he cannot ignore.

The concern is not one moment but the pattern behind it. City have been among the league's most reliable teams for years, so a side that looked composed in the opening matches suddenly looked exposed. Attention has turned to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and centre-back Marc Guehi, whose performances have been picked apart as the defence struggled to keep its shape and organisation.

For Maresca, the timing matters. Early-season form can be a false guide, but a team that keeps conceding in the wrong areas will find that the margin for error shrinks quickly once the fixtures get tougher. Fixing the back line will need more than a single change. Communication, positioning and the goalkeeper's confidence all play a part, and each will need work before the next big test.

City's supporters will hope this is a short blip rather than the start of a trend. Their opening weeks showed plenty of attacking quality, and the squad has the depth to recover. But the defeat has made one thing clear: the title race is not decided by goals scored alone, and right now the questions are at the back.