Come on then, Enzo. Let’s see what you’ve got now.

Until lunchtime on Saturday, Manchester City had shown no signs of being affected by the chaos engulfing the club as Enzo Maresca’s men reeled off seven straight Premier League wins. We will know soon enough whether Aston Villa’s fourth straight home victory over City has broken the spell.

It easy enough to block out the noise when you win every league game. Easy to forget your club’s ongoing battle with the Premier League after they were found guilty of breaking financial rules between 2009 and 2018 – a verdict City have appealed.

These players and coaches would not be human, though, if they had been able to avoid worrying about the future. What if our appeal fails? Will we be relegated? If so, how far? What happens to our contracts? Our careers? City’s next fixture, at home to the impressive Brighton, may tell us a great deal about what is to come.

Troubling times for City, and no less unsettling for the Premier League. Because if City escape on a technicality, what then? The damage to the competition’s image would be colossal. Please, just let the verdict be swift.

City did not play badly here. They hit the frame of the goal twice through Iliman Ndiaye and Josko Gvardiol and were denied by some outstanding work by Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who looks one of the buys of the season. So too does Nicolas Jackson, who scored in each half, either side of Erling Haaland’s equaliser. This must have tasted especially sweet for Jackson, who was shoved towards the exit by Maresca at Chelsea a little more than a year ago. Against the world’s best No9, Jackson won the battle of the centre-forward hands down.

‘We had many chances,’ said Maresca. ‘We played most of the game in their box but you have to be clinical and avoid mistakes like the two goals we conceded.’

All fair enough, though Maresca must have noticed a softness to City that simply was not there in their greatest days. Ndiaye and Jeremy Doku tormented Villa full-backs Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen throughout and on another occasion, their creativity would have produced more. When it comes to the other end of the pitch, the less said, the better.

Marc Guehi was dragged off at half-time after he was at fault for Jackson’s opener and then picked up a booking for a foul on the Villa forward. Ruben Dias seemed more interested in scrapping with John McGinn than stopping him playing. Enzo Fernandez looked slow and sluggish, a shadow of himself.

None of this should detract from Villa or their outstanding coach. Unai Emery has somehow managed to travel under the radar for much of his second spell in English football and has been overlooked by Manchester United twice since he arrived at Villa four years ago.

‘He’s just a tactical genius,’ said Cash. ‘Especially against City at our place, he’s always got a plan for something and he’s always coming up with new ideas.’

Consider what Emery has had to handle since lifting the Europa League last May. Six of the starting XI from the Final against Freiburg have departed, leaving a squad needing a total rebuild. Daily Mail Sport has been critical before of Villa’s haphazard recruitment but this time they have nailed it.

Suzuki and Jackson have been two of the best in their positions this season. Though he did not have his best day against City, Johan Manzambi looks a £100million footballer in the making. Ibrahim Mbaye came on as a second-half substitute and promptly created the winner for his Senegal team-mate Jackson. At 25, Jackson is the oldest of the quartet. Exciting times.

‘This year started so poorly,’ admitted Emery. ‘We needed time to understand how we needed to improve. Today this was a very good test and the players have shown they can recover the level we achieved in recent years.’

City were caught cold by the speed of Villa’s start. The home side were awarded a corner when City delayed a goal-kick too long and in the sixth minute they seized the lead.

Guehi’s poor control allowed McGinn to find Jackson, who was allowed to cut in unchallenged from the left and fire into the roof of the net.

Now the Holte End was in full voice, telling City exactly what they thought of them but Maresca’s team did not wilt. They took control quickly and Ndiaye and Doku were a constant threat on the flanks. Ndiaye forced a fine save from Zion Suzuki and the Villa goalkeeper produced an even better one from Rayan Cherki. Ndiaye would later hit the post and Doku continued to torment Matty Cash.

Haaland touched the ball only eight times in the first half but when it counted, he made his mark. Ndiaye glided past Manzambi and Haaland climbed to head home at the far post soon after the break.

Back came Villa. Less than a minute after coming on as substitute, Mbaye raced on to Jackson’s pass and picked out his team-mate 20 yards from goal. Jackson’s aim was true and Donnarumma allowed the shot to slip through his grasp and into the net. Moments earlier, Suzuki had done brilliantly again to tip Gvardiol’s effort on to the bar.

‘I’m very happy with the manager and my team-mates,’ said Jackson. ‘It’s been easier for me because of the coach and the players. Hopefully I can score many goals for them and it’s just the beginning. Thankfully we got our first win at home in the league.’