Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester Metropolis
What: English Premier League
The place: Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 22 at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
Find out how to observe: Al Jazeera will convey you all of the build-up, earlier than our dwell textual content commentary stream from 9:30am (08:30 GMT).
Manchester Metropolis can proceed to place their off-field woes to at least one aspect in Saturday’s early kickoff within the Premier League after they journey to Aston Villa, the place they’ll transfer six factors clear on the prime with a win.
Beneficial Tales
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Holders Arsenal entertain Everton later within the day and can very a lot hope to increase their successful run within the league to a 3rd match.
Metropolis do, nevertheless, have a 100% file from their first seven video games within the league this season, a run that defies the responsible verdict by an impartial fee concerning greater than 100 breaches of the competitors’s monetary guidelines.
The Manchester membership have appealed the decision and no sanctions have, as of yet, been imposed.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a take a look at Metropolis’s journey to Villa Park, the place the Cityzens ’ siege mentality is predicted to proceed.
Foden could be certainly one of Premier League’s finest once more, says Maresca
Enzo Maresca mentioned it’s his job as Manchester Metropolis boss to assist Phil Foden rediscover his finest kind after the England worldwide ended his lengthy aim drought.
Foden had not scored for 10 months earlier than netting in Metropolis’s 3-2 win over Ipswich final weekend after which scored a Champions League hat-trick in a 5-1 rout of AEK Athens on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old swept the board of non-public awards for the Premier League’s finest participant within the 2023/24 season after a 27-goal marketing campaign.
However Foden, who has admitted fighting psychological well being points, has did not hit prime kind for the previous two seasons.
“Since we began, I sat down with Phil two or thrice, particularly initially. Simply to indicate him, I don’t know if love is the appropriate phrase to make use of, however simply to indicate him how essential he’s,” mentioned Maresca, who took cost of Metropolis in June.
“I mentioned many instances that I do know Phil from years in the past, so I understand how, for various causes, the previous couple of years it was not ok.
“When you’ve gotten extra gamers like Phil out there, you’re a higher group as a result of once more it’s a matter of bettering gamers. Should you enhance the gamers, you enhance the group.
“So for me, I believe it’s my obligation to attempt to assist Phil to be once more among the finest gamers in England.”
How have Maresca and Man Metropolis formed up this season?
Aside from a 4-2 Champions League defeat by holders Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca has made a flawless begin to the daunting job of succeeding Pep Guardiola on the Etihad Stadium.
The Italian is the primary supervisor ever to win his first seven Premier League video games in control of a brand new membership.
Nonetheless, Metropolis’s high quality kind has been overshadowed by the specter of extreme sanctions in opposition to the membership for the widespread flouting of Premier League monetary guidelines.
A big factors deduction, which might result in relegation, is probably going until Metropolis win their attraction.
Maresca mentioned the temper within the dressing room remained buoyant regardless of the cloud hanging over the membership.
“In any membership, if you lose essential gamers, many essential gamers, and also you lose the supervisor after 10 years, it all the time takes time to compete once more,” he mentioned on Thursday.
“However this organisation final summer time modified many essential gamers, modified the supervisor after 10 years, and we’re competing in the mean time.”
How have Aston Villa fared this season?
Villa sit twelfth within the desk, however a win would propel them to sixth, no less than for a few hours. Beneath former Arsenal supervisor Unai Emery, Villa have been regulars among the many European spots in latest seasons, and have been even challengers for the title at one level.
This time period has offered a sterner examination of their credentials after the exit of various the highest stars of latest campaigns, together with Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to Metropolis’s rivals United and Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal.
The Midlands membership, who beat Freiburg 3-0 to win final season’s UEFA Europa League, are on a six-match unbeaten run – of which they’ve received 5 – throughout the league and Champions League.
What occurred the final time Aston Villa performed Manchester Metropolis?
Villa have been 2-1 winners at Metropolis in Pep Guardiola’s last game in cost on the ultimate day of final season.
Antoine Semenyo gave Metropolis the lead, however an Ollie Watkins brace turned the sport.
What occurred in Aston Villa and Man Metropolis’s corresponding fixture final season?
Villa emerged with a 1-0 win of their Premier League conflict at Villa Park final October. Matty Money scored the one aim.
When did Man Metropolis final beat Aston Villa?
Metropolis final beat Villa after they have been 2-1 winners within the Premier League fixture between the edges at Etihad Stadium in April 2025.
Marcus Rashford, on mortgage from United, levelled issues from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva’s opener, however Matheus Nunes sealed the win for the house aspect.
When did Man Metropolis final win at Aston Villa?
Metropolis haven’t received at Villa Park since December 2021, when Ruben Diaz and Silva netted within the first half of the Premier League match. Watkins’s strike within the second interval proved solely a comfort.
Prediction – Aston Villa vs Man Metropolis
The Opta supercomputer has given Metropolis a 43 p.c probability of successful the match, whereas providing Villa a 32 p.c probability of victory.
Head-to-head – Aston Villa vs Man Metropolis
That is the 186th assembly between the edges, with Metropolis successful 82 instances and Villa rising victorious on 61 events. There have been 42 attracts within the fixture that dates again to 1899 – and a 2-1 house win for Villa.
Aston Villa group information
Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka miss out by way of damage. Johan Manzambi and Modou Keba Cisse each face health exams.
Predicted Aston Villa beginning lineup
Suzuki; Money, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson
Manchester Metropolis group information
Ahead Antoine Semenyo is about for a lengthy spell out with a knee damage, whereas wing again Nico O’Reilly and midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are doubts.
League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was rested for Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League thrashing of AEK Athens due to a knock however is predicted to be out there in opposition to Villa.
Predicted Manchester Metropolis beginning lineup
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez; Foden, Haaland, Doku
