Aston Villa vs Manchester City – News and Probable Lineups

Premier League leaders Manchester City will aim to maintain their flawless top-flight record when they head to Villa Park this Saturday to take on a revitalized Aston Villa side.

The two clubs meet again just five months after they faced each other in Pep Guardiola’s last fixture at the helm for the Citizens, where Villa secured a 2-1 triumph at the Etihad Stadium.

Match overview

Manchester City have become only the third team in Premier League history to win their first seven matches of a new season, following Chelsea in 2005-06 (nine victories) and Liverpool in 2019-20 (eight victories). Additionally, Enzo Maresca has made history as the first manager to win his opening seven games in charge of a club in this league.

Since 1897-98, as a second-tier team, City have not commenced a league season with seven consecutive wins, having battled past Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Coventry City, Manchester United, Sunderland, and Liverpool before achieving a 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town at home last weekend.

This match was the club’s first Premier League game at the inflatable banana-filled Etihad after they were found guilty of infractions regarding financial regulations in the league. Despite facing uncertainties off the pitch, Maresca’s squad is sitting atop the table with 21 points, three points ahead of champions Arsenal.

In their last 11 games across all competitions, Manchester City’s sole defeat came at home against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League (4-2) just over a week ago. However, they quickly returned to form in European competition, thrashing AEK Athens 5-1 on Wednesday with a significantly rotated side.

A challenging trip to Villa Park is on the horizon for the Citizens, who have been defeated in four of their last six Premier League encounters with Unai Emery’s team, losing their last three away fixtures against them with an aggregate score of 4-1.

In contrast to Manchester City, Aston Villa has made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign, being one of only five teams out of 36 to achieve this feat, winning their third consecutive match at home against Viking FK on Wednesday night.

Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendia scored in the first half before a second-half own goal secured Villa a 3-1 win, extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to seven matches (W5 D1) since their home loss to Nottingham Forest (2-1) on September 12.

With a recent resurgence in form, Villa has gathered seven of their eight Premier League points in the last three fixtures, most recently overcoming Newcastle United with a 1-0 win away, marking Emery’s 100th match as a Premier League manager.

Currently positioned 12th in the standings and just two points off the top six, Villa is still in search of their first home victory in the Premier League this season (D1 L2). Nevertheless, back-to-back Champions League victories at Villa Park with an aggregate score of 9-1 have lifted morale ahead of the key fixture against Manchester City.

Aston Villa completed a league double over Manchester City last season, including a 1-0 home victory last October, and they are now seeking to win three matches in a row against the Sky Blues for the first time in the Premier League era (since 1992-93).

Team News

Aston Villa will be missing Amadou Onana (ACL), Matteo Ruggeri (thigh), and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring) due to injuries. Additionally, in-form summer addition Johan Manzambi (muscle) and young defender Modou Keba Cisse (groin) are both facing minor doubts.

Despite his impressive performance against Viking FK, Alysson may be replaced on the right side by captain John McGinn, with Boubacar Kamara and Joao Gomes, who started at right-back during the midweek fixture, likely to return to their central midfield roles.

Matty Cash is anticipated to be back in the right-back position of a four-man defence, and Ian Maatsen may also be ready to start after his recovery from an ankle injury. However, Tyrone Mings could continue at left-back if necessary.

For Manchester City, Antoine Semenyo is sidelined for approximately eight weeks due to a knee injury, as Nico O’Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, and Matheus Nunes were rested midweek and should be fit to rejoin the squad after dealing with minor issues against Ipswich.

Erling Haaland was also missing for the clash with AEK Athens, but Maresca has confirmed that the prolific forward, who has netted 12 times in just 10 games this season, is “100% available” for the match against Villa.

Phil Foden has netted four goals in his last two outings, including a remarkable Champions League hat trick in midweek, and he may be rewarded with another start on the right flank. Should Maresca aim to strengthen his midfield with Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, Ayyoub Bouaddi could take the place of Rayan Cherki.

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Matsen; Chamber, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambia, Buendia; Jackson

Manchester City probable starting XI:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez; Foden, Speech, Doc

An enthusiastic and improving Aston Villa team will carry significant confidence into this weekend’s encounter, bolstered by a solid upturn in form and a strong recent track record against Manchester City.

Nevertheless, an unyielding Citizens squad, featuring a fit Haaland to lead the attack and consistently achieving positive outcomes even when not performing at their best, is expected to secure a narrow victory, allowing them to remain atop the league table.