When Haaland hit his 10th goal in six games five minutes into the second half, it looked like City would deepen their misery for Gerrard, but Villa lifted to claim a point. In the end, it was Pep Guardiola, in khaki cargo pants and white trainers, who was left hunched over in the yard. To be fair, City should have been invisible. Haaland was twice saved by Villa goalkeeper Amy Martinez, Ilkay Gundogan failed to turn on Kevin De Bruyne’s poor cross from the right and the Belgian later hit a powerful free-kick that hit the crossbar after Tyrone Mings tripped Haaland aside. of D as the striker marched towards the goal. City missed two more chances in the closing stages. First Rodri sent a shot whizzing past a post and then a minute later substitute Riyad Mahrez drilled agonizingly wide. But Villa were aggrieved that Philippe Coutinho had a potential winning goal chalked off because the referee, Simon Hooper, blew his whistle after spying that the assistant referee, Adrian Holmes, had flagged for offside. Many of the City players had stopped by the time the ball beat Anderson. Haaland started this game with aspirations of becoming the first player in 76 years to score a hat-trick in a third consecutive top-flight game, but for a long time City failed to fuel Haaland’s engine. After four minutes, Kyle Walker skated forward on the overlap but took a shot instead of square to Haaland lurking to his left. It seemed a foolish decision, given that six of Haaland’s nine goals before kick-off had come from inside 6 metres. Walker held up the palms of his hands in regret and another apology soon came Haaland’s way when the returning De Bruyne, who replaced Julian Álvarez in City’s only change, fumbled too hard for a ball that gave the striker no chance of City. Haaland finished the first half with 10 touches to his name. Regardless, City were running, they were in possession and when Ollie Watkins was able to hold the ball up and win a free-kick for Villa, it seemed cause for celebration. It was a generally discouraging existence for Villa until seven minutes before half-time when Ashley Young, who replaced the injured Matty Cash at right-back, came on top of a tussle with De Bruyne as City tried to climb into the counter Young cleared the danger and found Douglas Luiz, the subject of three deadline day bids from Arsenal, who slipped Watkins in behind John Stones. Watkins took a few steps and sent a low diagonal shot at goal which Stones was able to deflect out for a corner. Just as Villa looked to have found a way to stifle City, described as a superpower by Gerrard, he was guilty of presenting the sharpest marksman in world football with the most routine finishes. Haaland’s goal was simple. He was unmarked to push a hanging De Bruyne cross into the net five minutes into the second half. Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne exchanged passes down the right and the latter sent in a looping cross from the right. The ball went over Martínez and Konsa, too, was caught under the ball and Haaland simply headed in at the back post. Erling Haaland has now scored 10 goals in his first six league games Picture: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images City should have put the game to bed but when Bailey equalized he could not argue that he had not been warned. Before the hour Watkins played in Jacob Ramsey who, but for his slightly heavy touch and Ederson’s alertness to beat the ball, could have scored. Bailey turned wide on the stroke of half-time soon after and then with 74 minutes on the clock equalized. Ramsey shuffled down the left and teed up the former Bayer Leverkusen winger to slide the ball into the corner. Even when things were going wrong for City Haaland would come out of the rubble. De Bruyne had an effort on goal that fell into the back of the Norwegian but seconds after the striker talked himself down for getting in the way, he sprung to life as a triangle of Villa shirts went to sleep. Haaland controlled the ball and flicked it deftly into the path of De Bruyne, who fired a shot just wide. “It’s going to be exciting how it works because even when he’s not right at it or he’s off the gas, he’s still a big threat,” Gerrard said of Haaland.
