Manchester City vs Aston Villa - 4pm KO Sven > MON

Eric Cartman · 09-16-2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Man City v Aston Villa

Eastlands
Sunday, 16 September
Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MotD2.

Manchester City's Richard Dunne will miss the game through suspension so Vedran Corluka is set to partner Micah Richards in central defence.

Brazilian midfielder Geovanni should be available after a calf injury.

Aston Villa's new signing Curtis Davies is included in the squad after missing the win over Chelsea because of a hamstring problem.

Striker John Carew is the only injury concern after aggravating a groin injury while playing for Norway.

Man City (from): Schmeichel, Hart, Corluka, Onuoha, Sun, Richards, Garrido, Ball, Fernandes, Geovanni, Hamann, Johnson, Ireland, Petrov, Elano, Mpenza, Bianchi, Vassell, Samaras.

Aston Villa (from): Carson, Sorensen, Taylor, Mellberg, Gardner, Laursen, Davies, Knight, Cahill, Bouma, Agbonlahor, Barry, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Osbourne, Carew, Moore.

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Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson on Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry:
"I am happy for him as I did not pick him many times.

"But at that time he played wide left or left full-back. But I think this role is maybe best for him.

"He was good the first game last Saturday and he was even better against Russia. He can pass the ball well, has a good shot and good delivery from free-kicks and corners."

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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"There was pleasure in beating Chelsea two weeks ago but we need consistency.

"We have a very difficult game at Manchester City on Sunday and we have to try and play like we did in that match two weeks ago.

"We have to achieve that level of performance on a consistent basis, week in, week out."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Manchester City are eager to avoid a third straight league defeat; Aston Villa striving for a third successive win.

The Midlanders, victors over Chelsea last time out, have completed 104 Premier League matches since registering three wins in a row.

City have a 100% home Premier League record, and are yet to concede at Eastlands; Villa have neither scored nor conceded on the road.

Aston Villa are vying for a 50th league victory over Manchester City, in their 150th competitive meeting.

CLUB FORM

MANCHESTER CITY
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)

1. Won the first three Premier League matches, but lost the last two; both defeats 1-0 away from home, at Arsenal and Blackburn.

2. Last lost three league games on the bounce at the close of last season.

3. Started this campaign with three clean sheets, but now not scored in two.

4. One of two clubs to have kept three clean sheets in the Premier League. The other is Manchester United.

5. One of two clubs without a draw in the Premier League. The other is Bolton.

6. On the longest current sequence of eight matches in the Premier League without a score draw.

7. One of four clubs with a 100% home Premier League record. The others are Arsenal, Chelsea and Wigan.

8. One of four clubs yet to concede a home goal in the Premier League. The others are Manchester United, Newcastle and Wigan.

9. Kept clean sheets in four of the last six league games at the City of Manchester Stadium.

10. Ended last season without a goal in eight successive home league games; began this season with one goal in each of the two home games.

ASTON VILLA
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)

1. Won the last three in all competitions; 2-1 home to Fulham (PL), 0-5 away to Wrexham (Carling Cup) and 2-0 home to Chelsea (PL).

2. Not registered three Premier League victories on the trot since 22 November 2004.

3. Lost one of 13 league matches.

4. One of three clubs yet to score an away goal in the Premier League. The others are Derby and Reading.

5. One of six clubs holding an unbeaten away record in the Premier League. The others are Arsenal, Blackburn, Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham.

6. This is only their second away league game of the season; the first was a goalless draw at Newcastle on 18 August.

7. Not beaten in six league games on the road. Won three and drawn three since losing 2-0 at Reading on 10 February.

KEY PLAYER NOTES

MANCHESTER CITY

GEOVANNI and Rolando BIANCHI are Manchester City's joint top scorers with two goals each. Both of GEOVANNI's were in the Premier League.

Darius VASSELL has scored five goals in five league and cup appearances for City, against Aston Villa.

If he plays:-

VASSELL will be facing his former club. The 27 year old England international started his professional career at Villa Park in April 1998, making 201 appearances (162 in the league) and scoring 45 goals (35 league) before his £2m move to Manchester City in July 2005.

Suspended:-

Richard DUNNE (one match)

ASTON VILLA

Shaun MALONEY is Villa's leading scorer with three goals.

The club's five Premier League goals have been scored by different players; one each for Gabriel AGBONLAHOR, Gareth BARRY, Zat KNIGHT and MALONEY, and one own goal.

Marlon HAREWOOD, needs one goal to total 100 in his league career (Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and West Ham).

If he plays:-

Wilfred BOUMA will be making his 50th Premier League appearance - all for Villa.

If on the field from the outset:-

Zat KNIGHT will be making his 150th career league start (Fulham, Peterborough and Aston Villa).

HEAD TO HEAD

City were unbeaten in 10 league and cup meetings with Aston Villa, when they lost this fixture last season 0-2.

Villa have taken away maximum Premier League points from Manchester City on only two of ten occasions.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Man City 51 wins, Villa 49, Draws 36
Prem: Man City 10 wins, Villa 4, Draws 6

at Man City only
League (inc PL): Man City 37 wins, Villa 16, Draws 15
Prem: Man City 6 wins, Villa 2, Draws 2

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Manchester City 0-2 Aston Villa
28 April 2007 - Ref: Mark Halsey
Villa scorers: Carew 24, Maloney 75

REFEREE

Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)

Setting off soon, MON City