While Manchester City put in an unusually lukewarm performance in a 2-1 loss away to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, there have been two star players in particular who have felt the heat following their first Premier League defeat of the season.

Enzo Maresca's side remain top of the table as things stand, and will stay there beyond this weekend should Arsenal fail to win their game-in-hand by more than four clear goals.

But there were obvious warning signs for Enzo Maresca that his side can be got at, especially when their opposition is aggressive, and their fans hostile.

Nicolas Jackson scored either side of an Erling Haaland equaliser, and that proved enough for the Villains to extend their impressive run against the Cityzens, who have now won four of the last six meetings between the two sides.

Man City Duo Looked Out of their Depth at Hostile Villa Park

It's not often that a Man City side looks out of place, outnumbered in midfield, and unable to keep up with their opponents in an intense atmosphere. Cool, calm, collected is usually personified by the Cityzens, but their fans have been left fearing two of their star players didn't match that description at all in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.

The travelling supporters have called out both Marc Guehi, who was at fault for an error leading to Nicolas Jackson's opener, and £125 million summer signing Enzo Fernandez for their 'phenomenally poor' displays in the Midlands. Another X user commented:

"Marc Guehi and Enzo Fernandez will be the end of this club."

A third added that both players looked 'lost' in the high-octane clash, as a fourth remarked: "The Enzo Fernandez signing ruined the whole Man City project post-Pep [Guardiola]."

Elsewhere, a sixth continued: "Guehi is all over the place this season, for City and England. Madness," a seventh claimed that "Nothing about Guehi screams world-class," as a ninth concluded: "Serious conversations need to be had about Fernandez and Guehi."

Man City Finally Give Up Ground in Premier League Title Race

With Arsenal unbeaten in their previous four matches across all competitions - the latest result of which saw them hold Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in the Champions League - the Gunners will be hoping to capitalise on the first time their long-time adversaries have dropped points in the Premier League this season.

A clash at home to Everton offers the perfect platform for Mikel Arteta and co. to move level on points at the top of the table. But with a goal difference four worse-off than their rivals, it still looks unlikely that they can finish the weekend as outright table-toppers.

Perhaps the best thing to come out of City's failure to win at Villa Park from an Arsenal perspective is that they looked rattled at times, somewhat flustered by the hostile reception they were getting from the home support.

They may have rose to the occasion at Anfield, but two weeks later painted a different picture, and that pressure will only worsen as any punishment plans keep getting pushed back.