Ruben Dias says Man City will respond after a “frustrating” first Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa, with the captain admitting the Blues took too long to get into the game.
City went behind after six minutes at Villa Park, hit back through Erling Haaland and then lost to a second Villa counter-attack. Reports from the Manchester Evening News say Dias spoke to TNT Sports straight after the game and did not hide his annoyance.
The Ruben Dias reaction followed a game that had been billed in our Aston Villa vs Man City preview as a test of the one ground City cannot seem to conquer. This time it ended in a 2-1 loss.
What did Ruben Dias say after the Aston Villa defeat?
Dias admitted the start was the problem. “Frustrating, felt like we fought a lot. First 10-15 minutes of the first half we took our time to get into the game,” he said. “They changed the way they set up so we took time to adapt.”
The City captain was equally clear that his team had chances. “But we fought, we had chances and they ended up scoring two goals in two transitions – very efficient. Room to improve, we need to do better. It is what it is. Whatever happens we need to react to it. The team had a very good reaction.”
He also felt the visitors were dangerous more often than the scoreline suggests. “I felt like we were dangerous on many occasions, even if the finish wasn’t there we arrived in dangerous places but not able to play. A word of appreciation to the boys because we kept fighting to the end.”
How did Villa score twice on the break?
The opener came from a moment that will not be replayed fondly at the Etihad. Enzo Fernandez’s cross-field pass was not controlled by Marc Guehi, John McGinn pounced and set up Nicolas Jackson, who lifted the ball into the roof of the net. It was the same afternoon in which Maresca pulled Guehi and Rayan Cherki at half-time.
City reacted well to going behind and were unlucky not to be level before the break, when Iliman Ndiaye clipped the post. They kept up the pressure after the restart and equalised when Ndiaye’s cross found Haaland for his ninth Premier League goal of the season.
With the momentum seemingly with the Blues, they looked favourites to score next. Instead a counter let Jackson sweep home his second, and his effort squirmed under Gianluigi Donnarumma, the keeper whose first days under Guardiola feel a long time ago now.
Dias admitted that one hurt. “The second one was tough because it was very close to our equaliser. We kept going and tried to create chances. Not our day but we keep moving forward.”
What next for Man City after Aston Villa?
There is little time to dwell on it. City face a double-header against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium, with the Carabao Cup tie on Wednesday and the Premier League meeting on Saturday.
Dias is wary of a team he rates. “A top team [Brighton], another one. A different way to play so we’ll make the adaptation then focus on ourselves that’s the main thing – our spirit, our will to win.”
Author opinion
A first league defeat was always coming, and the manner of it will sting more than the result. Two Villa transitions were enough, and City will know the first one was a gift. Dias is right that the reaction was good, and the quick turnaround against Brighton, twice in a week, is the ideal chance to prove it was more than words.
