Keith Hackett accuses Johan Manzambi of 'trying to con the referee' in Aston Villa win vs Man City

Johan Manzambi has been accused of cheating in Aston Villa's 2-1 win against Manchester City.

The Swiss international returned to Unai Emery's side after missing the Champions League clash with Viking.

Nicolas Jackson gave the Villans the lead in the first-half, but Enzo Maresca's side tried desperately to find a way back.

Erling Haaland levelled just seven minutes after the break, but Jackson put the hosts back in front on the hour mark.

The Villans walked away with all three points after a spectacular performance, in which they went blow for blow with City.

Now, ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has hit out at new Villa Park ace Manzambi over an incident in the contest.

Why was Johan Manzambi trying to con referee in Aston Villa's win over Manchester City?

Hackett believes that Manzambi was trying to deceive the officials when he went down in the penalty area in the 30th minute.

Elliot Anderson was deemed to have stood his ground, and VAR confirmed Bankes' original assessment, rather than changing it.

Hackett claimed that was the right call and that it was not a penalty, after the Swiss international cut down the line and went down.

Speaking exclusively to Villa News, the ex-FIFA referee said: "The Villa player was clearly looking to win a penalty kick by manufacturing contact and trying to con the referee.

"No penalty kick decision for me.

"The exaggerated backward movement is where the exaggeration takes place."

Could it have been a penalty?

A new theory has been raised that Emery's side might have been unfortunate with that penalty claim.

That was the first of three shouts from either side, with an Ian Maatsen challenge on Iliman Ndiaye and a push on Enzo Fernandez from Joao Gomes.

Speaking on TNT Sports at half-time, Joleon Lescott believes it could have been a penalty had the contact been in a different area, rather than body to body.

He said: "All of the decisions were right, I don't think there is any pens.

"Arguably, this is probably the only one, I think if the contact is made with the leg, not the body of Anderson, there is a real shout there."

Unfortunately, for the Villans, it was not, and the referee and his VAR colleagues decided it was not a spot kick.

They ended up walking away with a deserved three points, on a memorable afternoon for Emery and co, so the penalty shout and the fact that it was not given, did not matter in the end.