Preview: Aston Villa vs. Man City · prediction, team news, line-ups
Aston Villa host Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday 24 October, with kick-off at 12.30pm BST, in Premier League matchweek eight.
The Villans sit 12th with 8 points from seven games. The league leaders have 21 points and a perfect record.
Match preview
Villa arrive in improved form. They beat Viking 3-1 and Fenerbahce 6-0 in the Champions League, and won 1-0 at Newcastle in the league on 17 October. Before that, they drew 2-2 at home to Brentford.
The table still shows them 12th, with 8 points and a goal difference of minus four. Home form is the concern: three league games at Villa Park have brought no wins, one draw and two defeats, with three goals scored and five conceded.
Away from home they have managed two wins, a draw and a defeat from four. Johan Manzambi has been involved in five goals since his debut in mid-September, according to Sports Mole. Only Erling Haaland has more among Premier League players across all competitions.
City are the only side with a perfect record, having won all seven league games. They have 21 points and a goal difference of plus 12. They have scored at least three goals in each of their last three league matches.
Recent results read 3-2 against Ipswich, 3-0 at Liverpool and 5-3 against Sunderland. In the Champions League, they lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain before beating AEK Athens 5-1 on Tuesday.
Enzo Maresca's side have won all three away games, scoring eight and conceding just one. At the Etihad, they have won four from four, with 11 goals for and six against.
Haaland leads City with eight goals. Rayan Cherki has four and Antoine Semenyo two, although Semenyo is injured.
Recent history favours the hosts. Villa won 2-1 at the Etihad on 24 May 2026 and 1-0 at Villa Park on 26 October 2025. City won 2-1 in April 2025 and 4-1 in April 2024, while Villa won 2-1 in December 2024. Villa have won three of the last five meetings.
Both sides come off European fixtures, Villa on Wednesday against Viking and City on Tuesday against AEK. Villa are still looking for a first league win at home this season.
Aston Villa · recent results
- WAston Villa 3-1 Viking
- WNewcastle 0-1 Aston Villa
- WAston Villa 6-0 Fenerbahçe
- DAston Villa 2-2 Brentford
- WSevilla 1-3 Aston Villa
Manchester City · recent results
- WManchester City 5-1 AEK Athens FC
- WManchester City 3-2 Ipswich
- LManchester City 2-4 Paris Saint Germain
- WLiverpool 0-3 Manchester City
- WManchester City 5-3 Sunderland
Key stats
Trends · last 5 matches
Team news
Villa remain without Amadou Onana (knee), Matteo Ruggeri (thigh) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring). Unai Emery has spoken of three or four weeks out for Wan-Bissaka. Johan Manzambi is a doubt with a calf problem, while Modou Keba Cisse, who had a groin issue, is back in training. Ian Maatsen has recovered and could start at left-back.
City will be without Antoine Semenyo, who has a knee injury and is not expected back until December. Mateo Kovacic, Nico O'Reilly (back) and Matheus Nunes are doubts after missing the win over AEK. Haaland rested in that game, but Maresca has confirmed he is available.
Official line-ups will be released about an hour before kick-off. Peter Bankes is the referee.
Villa have won the last two meetings and arrive in form, but they have taken only one point from nine at home. City have won every league game, scored 19 goals in seven and have Haaland available. We expect the leaders to set the tempo in an open contest, with Villa finding a goal at least once.
Match odds
+18