Villa Park is set for one of Saturday’s sharper Premier League tests as Aston Villa welcome Manchester City for a lunchtime meeting between two sides arriving on the back of emphatic Champions League wins.
Manchester City travel to Birmingham with a perfect domestic record behind them. The league leaders have taken 21 points from seven matches, winning every one, and their early pace has put them clear at the front of the Premier League table.
For Unai Emery’s Villa, the contrast between Europe and home soil has been marked. They are top of the league phase in continental competition, but their league form has not carried the same authority. Villa sit 12th with eight points after two wins, two draws and three defeats, having scored seven goals while conceding 11.
That leaves the hosts with work to do against a City side who have made a habit of turning good starts into long afternoons for opponents. Yet Villa Park has rarely needed much encouragement to find its voice when the leading clubs come to town, and Emery’s side will look to use their European momentum to change the shape of their league season.
Fixture details
Aston Villa face Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday 24 October, with kick-off scheduled for 13:30. The match is part of the eighth round of the Premier League season.
