The Aston Villa star, who Manchester City wanted to sign, has returned to haunt Pep

Aston Villa He managed to achieve a wonderful victory over the struggling one Manchester CityBy defeating Villa Park 2-1. John Doran's goals Morgan Rogers He gave the Villans a 2-0 lead, before Phil Foden scored a consolation goal in the 93rd minute, making the score 2-1.

Unai Emery's side He possessed 44% of the ballHe took 11 shots in the match, but still produced 1.67 xG and created four big chances. Although Manchester City maintained more possession and took more shots (12), they only created two big chances and generated 1.03 xG.

Stealing the headlines after his excellent 65th-minute goal was Rogers, who not only scored but also set up Villa's first goal, providing some real moments of quality against his former club.

Morgan Rogers' performance against Man City

Everything Villa did in the forward areas came from Rogers, as he made both goals. Complete two key passesHe succeeded in five of his seven evasion attempts and won eight of his 12 duels.

The 22-year-old's ability to carry the ball in central areas, escape man-to-man pressure, and provide the finishing touch, whether it's a pass or a shot, is improving week on week.

Since joining the club last season A fee of only around £8m (which could rise to £16m if all add-ons are met) Rogers made 39 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals, providing five assists and totaling 2,902 minutes played.

But despite his heavy involvement, there is another Villa man who has coordinated proceedings and continues to impress after an impressive performance against Manchester City, with Jamie Carragher even stated that he has been “excellent” this season Back in October.

However, he and Duran were not the only standout players in Emery's squad.

Youri Tielemans' performance against Man City

Youri Tielemans has already done that He has made 69 appearances for the club since joining in the 2023/24 seasonHe scored four goals and provided 13 assists, and total playing minutes reached 4,703 minutes.

But the main source of praise for him was his ability to pass in midfield and his ability to control the game in central areas.

The 27-year-old Belgian has received great praise in the last 12 months. With permission from Philip Goss “Tillemans can be mentioned in the same breath as Lukaku, De Bruyne and Vertonghen,” and he showed exactly why against De Bruyne’s side this weekend. Rated 8/10 by Birmingham Live.

Tielemans got things started for Villa's first goal, threading a beautiful pass between the Manchester City midfield lines to Rogers, who then managed to cross the turn for the opener. The Belgian did it all the time, scouting the ball when he got it, passing between the lines and forcing City back.

But his defensive impact was also important, winning four of his six ground duels, making three tackles and one interception. He has been playing a mixed role off the ball, looking to apply pressure alongside rotation at times, but also dropping back to cover City's midfield pivot and their central progression route.

Despite the signing of fellow Belgian Amadou Onana, the return of Boubacar Kamara and the signing of Ross Barkley, Tielemans' performances continue to make him an indispensable asset to Emery's side, as his midfield qualities are very important to the team's functionality.

There was, of course, an irony in Rogers performing so well against his former employers, but lest we forget that Guardiola rates Tielemans very highly as well, as he He appeared to sign it as a teenager At Anderlecht.