EPL leaders Man City’s magnificent seven faces stern test at Aston Villa

Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October ۲۲ at ۱۲:۳۰pm (۱۱:۳۰ GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera will bring you all the build-up, before our live text commentary stream from ۹:۳۰am (۰۸:۳۰ GMT).

Manchester City can continue to put their off-field woes to one side in Saturday’s early kickoff in the Premier League when they travel to Aston Villa, where they will move six points clear at the top with a win.

Holders Arsenal entertain Everton later in the day and will very much hope to extend their winning run in the league to a third match.

City do, however, have a ۱۰۰ percent record from their first seven games in the league this season, a run that defies the guilty verdict by an independent commission regarding more than ۱۰۰ breaches of the competition’s financial rules.

The Manchester club have appealed the decision and no sanctions have, as of yet, been imposed.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at City’s trip to Villa Park, where the Cityzens ’ siege mentality is expected to continue.

Foden can be one of Premier League’s best again, says Maresca

Enzo Maresca said it is his job as Manchester City boss to help Phil Foden rediscover his best form after the England international ended his long goal drought.

Foden had not scored for ۱۰ months before netting in City’s ۳-۲ win over Ipswich last weekend and then scored a Champions League hat-trick in a ۵-۱ rout of AEK Athens on Tuesday.

The ۲۶-year-old swept the board of personal awards for the Premier League’s best player in the ۲۰۲۳/۲۴ season after a ۲۷-goal campaign.

But Foden, who has admitted struggling with mental health issues, has failed to hit top form for the past two seasons.

“Since we started, I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning. Just to show him, I don’t know if love is the right word to use, but just to show him how important he is,” said Maresca, who took charge of City in June.

“I said many times that I know Phil from years ago, so I know how, for different reasons, the last few years it was not good enough.

“When you have more players like Phil available, you are a better team because again it’s a matter of improving players. If you improve the players, you improve the team.

“So for me, I think it’s my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England.”

How have Maresca and Man City shaped up this season?

Other than a ۴-۲ Champions League defeat by holders Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca has made a flawless start to the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

The Italian is the first manager ever to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a new club.

However, City’s fine form has been overshadowed by the threat of severe sanctions against the club for the widespread flouting of Premier League financial rules.

A large points deduction, which could lead to relegation, is likely unless City win their appeal.

Maresca said the mood in the dressing room remained buoyant despite the cloud hanging over the club.

“In any club, when you lose important players, many important players, and you lose the manager after ۱۰ years, it always takes time to compete again,” he said on Thursday.

“But this organisation last summer changed many important players, changed the manager after ۱۰ years, and we are competing at the moment.”

How have Aston Villa fared this season?

Villa sit ۱۲th in the table, but a win would propel them to sixth, at least for a couple of hours. Under former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, Villa have been regulars among the European spots in recent seasons, and were even challengers for the title at one point.

This term has provided a sterner examination of their credentials after the exit of a number of the top stars of recent campaigns, including Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to City’s rivals United and Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal.

The Midlands club, who beat Freiburg ۳-۰ to win last season’s UEFA Europa League, are on a six-match unbeaten run – of which they have won five – across the league and Champions League.

What happened the last time Aston Villa played Manchester City?

Villa were ۲-۱ winners at City in Pep Guardiola’s last game in charge on the final day of last season.

Antoine Semenyo gave City the lead, but an Ollie Watkins brace turned the game.

What happened in Aston Villa and Man City’s corresponding fixture last season?

Villa emerged with a ۱-۰ win in their Premier League clash at Villa Park last October. Matty Cash scored the only goal.

When did Man City last beat Aston Villa?

City last beat Villa when they were ۲-۱ winners in the Premier League fixture between the sides at Etihad Stadium in April ۲۰۲۵.

Marcus Rashford, on loan from United, levelled matters from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva’s opener, but Matheus Nunes sealed the win for the home side.

When did Man City last win at Aston Villa?

City have not won at Villa Park since December ۲۰۲۱, when Ruben Diaz and Silva netted in the first half of the Premier League match. Watkins’s strike in the second period proved only a consolation.

Prediction – Aston Villa vs Man City

The Opta supercomputer has given City a ۴۳ percent chance of winning the match, while offering Villa a ۳۲ percent chance of victory.

Head-to-head – Aston Villa vs Man City

This is the ۱۸۶th meeting between the sides, with City winning ۸۲ times and Villa emerging victorious on ۶۱ occasions. There have been ۴۲ draws in the fixture that dates back to ۱۸۹۹ – and a ۲-۱ home win for Villa.

Aston Villa team news

Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka miss out through injury. Johan Manzambi and Modou Keba Cisse both face fitness tests.

Predicted Aston Villa starting lineup

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson

Manchester City team news

Forward Antoine Semenyo is set for a lengthy spell out ⁠with a knee injury, while wing back Nico O’Reilly and midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are doubts.

League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was rested for Tuesday’s ۵-۱ Champions League thrashing of AEK Athens because of a knock but is expected to be available against Villa.

Predicted Manchester City starting lineup

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez; Foden, Haaland, Doku