Premier League17 min ago1 minute read

Nicolas Jackson Shines For Aston Villa As Chelsea Struggles Mount

Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 2-1, while Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Jackson leads Villa past Man City

Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Aston Villa ended Manchester City's perfect Premier League start with a 2-1 win. The forward opened the scoring six minutes in, cutting inside Elliot Anderson to finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma after John McGinn pounced on a Marc Guehi mistake.

City equalised through Erling Haaland after the break, but Jackson restored Villa's lead on the hour mark. He exchanged passes with Ibrahim Mbaye before driving the ball beneath Donnarumma. Villa manager Unai Emery joked that Jackson was shooting so much early in the season as though he was playing rugby, but praised his tactical work and speed. Jackson has four goals in his last four league matches and seven overall, including a double in a 6-0 Champions League win against Fenerbahce.

Chelsea feel the loss of former forward

While Jackson helped Villa climb the table, his former team Chelsea struggled. Chelsea sold Jackson to Villa in August for an initial £47.5 million. Last weekend, Chelsea suffered a 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, which was only their second home league loss to Spurs since 1990.

Spurs took over double the shots of the hosts. Cole Palmer was sent off for two yellow cards, and Chelsea carried little threat without Joao Pedro, while Danny Welbeck was seemingly not trusted by Alonso. Jackson's selfless running previously created space for Palmer to operate. Without that focal point, Chelsea struggled for attack cohesion, while Villa are benefiting from Jackson's movement and form.

What it means for the next game

AFC Bournemouth vs Aston Villa (Carabao Cup, Wed, 28 Oct): AFC Bournemouth win 41%, draw 26%, Aston Villa win 33%; expected goals 1.56 to 1.36. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.

Liverpool vs Chelsea (Carabao Cup, Wed, 28 Oct): Liverpool win 41%, draw 25%, Chelsea win 35%; expected goals 1.66 to 1.52. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.