Manchester City emphatically got back to winning ways with a 4-1 hammering of Manchester rivals United in their last Premier League match, moving to within a couple of points of the top of the table. Next up for Manuel Pellegrini's team is a trip to Villa Park, playing an Aston Villa side who have been inconsistent so far.
Aston Villa vs. Manchester City: Preview and TV schedule
Manchester City could go top of the table with a win this weekend, though a promising young Aston Villa team stand in their way.
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Paul Lambert's team ended a run of three straight league defeats with a victory over Norwich City in their last game, in only their second win of the season. The Villans are now up into 13th place, though have shown promise in their opening few matches.
They unfortunately have a couple of key absentees for this tough match, with Christian Benteke and Jores Okore both definitely sidelined alongside Charles N'Zogbia. Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Westwood are in doubt. For City, defender Martín Demichelis is the only player certainly unavailable, though a thigh injury could mean David Silva will miss out too.
Aston Villa injuries and suspensions
Out: Christian Benteke (hip), Jores Okore (knee), Charles N’Zogbia (achilles). In doubt: Gabriel Agbonlahor (ankle), Ashley Westwood (thigh).
Manchester City injuries and suspensions
Out: Martín Demichelis (knee). In doubt: David Silva (thigh).
Projected lineups
Aston Villa: Brad Guzan; Antonio Luna, Ciaran Clark, Ron Vlaar, Matthew Lowton; Andreas Weimann, Karim El Ahmadi, Fabian Delph, Leandro Bacuna; Libor Kozák, Gabriel Agbonlahor
Manchester City: Joe Hart; Aleksandar Kolarov, Vincent Kompany, Matija Nastasić, Pablo Zabaleta; Yaya Touré, Fernandinho; Samir Nasri, Sergio Agüero, Jesús Navas; Álvaro Negredo
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 3 p.m. local, 10 a.m. ET
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
TV: TSN2 (Canada).
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