A look ahead at Saturday's game at Villa Park
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Date: 3.00pm Saturday 28th September 2013
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Referee: Michael Jones. Assistants: G Beswick, R Ganfield. Fourth Official: L Mason.
Odds: Aston Villa 6/1, Manchester City 1/2, Draw 3/1,
Tickets: City allocation sold out.
Aston Villa
Manager: Paul Lambert
Squad (from): Given, Guzan, Siegrist, Steer, Baker, Bennett, Clark, Lowton, Luna, Vlaar, Albrighton, Bacuna, Delph, El Ahmadi, Gardner, Herd, Johnson, Stieber, Sylla, Tonev, Westwood, Agbonlahor, Bowery, Helenius, Kozak, Weimann.
Injured: Benteke, Okore, N'Zogbia
Doubtful: Gardner, Agbonlahor, Westwood
Suspended: None
Form guide: WLLLW
Manchester City
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Squad (from): Hart, Pantilimon, Wright, Boyata, Clichy, Kolarov, Kompany, Lescott, Nastasic, Richards, Zabaleta, Garcia, Fernandinho, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Rodwell, Silva, Toure, Aguero, Dzeko, Guidetti, Jovetic, Negredo, Nimely.
Injured: Demichelis
Doubtful: Silva, Rodwell
Suspended: None
Form guide: WLWDW
City go into Saturday's game against Villa buoyed by successive victories against Viktoria Plzen, Manchester United and Wigan Athletic, having scored 12 goals and conceded just one in the three games. Martin Demichelis remains the only long term absentee, although David Silva may not be risked, and Jack Rodwell is struggling to shake off a knock.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini may be tempted to rotate the side that beat Manchester United so convincingly last weekend, with the Blues facing an important game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. James Milner and Micah Richards impressed in the League Cup tie against Wigan midweek, and will be hoping for a recall.
Villa have had a mixed start to the season, having won impressively at The Emirates on the opening weekend but then suffering three successive defeats. A win at Carrow Road last weekend will have restored confidence, but the injury suffered by Christian Benteke is a blow. The Belgian has scored four goals so far this season.
City's last league game at Villa Park ended in a 1-0 victory, with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal. Overall the Blues have won 67 of the 163 games played against Villa, with 40 draws and 56 defeats.
Read the view of Villa fan Stuart Young here.