Aston Villa v Manchester City: Maresca's leaders face their Villa Park problem without Semenyo

Manchester City start the Premier League weekend at Villa Park on Saturday with a perfect league record. They have won all seven games under Enzo Maresca and have 21 points. Their recent record at this ground is poor, though. City have lost their last three visits to Aston Villa and have not won there since 2021. Kick-off is 12.30pm in England, which is 7.30pm on Saturday in Malaysia.

Haaland fit, Semenyo out for around eight weeks

Erling Haaland had a swollen foot after a blow against Ipswich and did not warm up for Tuesday's 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens. Maresca has cleared him to play. The City manager said Haaland was the only one of four injury concerns who was fully available. Nico O'Reilly (back), Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes were all withdrawn early against Ipswich and are late fitness checks.

The clear loss is Antoine Semenyo. The forward has a knee injury that Maresca expects to keep him out for around eight weeks. Semenyo scored for Villa against City in the last meeting between the teams, so he knows this fixture well.

Villa's injury list and Emery's run

Unai Emery has selection problems of his own. Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have hamstring injuries, and Amadou Onana is out with a knee injury. Johan Manzambi missed the midweek Champions League win over Viking with what Emery called a small injury and needs a fitness test. Reports differ on Ian Maatsen. One preview says he is back in training and another lists him as out.

Villa's form has improved. They had not lost in seven matches in all competitions before this weekend, and they followed a 1-0 league win over Newcastle with the 3-1 win over Viking. Maresca said he has huge respect for Emery and expects a very difficult afternoon.

Why Villa Park matters for City

City's start includes a 5-1 win over AEK and a 3-2 league win over Ipswich last weekend, and Phil Foden scored a hat-trick in midweek. City lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the Champions League, however. The last league meeting with Villa ended in a 2-1 Villa win at the Etihad, where Ollie Watkins scored twice. Villa also won both league games between the clubs last season.

Peter Bankes is the referee. He has refereed two previous Villa-City games, and each side won one 2-1.

What a win would mean

Arsenal are second and host Everton later on Saturday, at 10pm Malaysia time. A City win at Villa Park would put them six points clear for at least a few hours and add pressure on Mikel Arteta's side, who are without the injured Bukayo Saka. A Villa win would end City's perfect start and give the title race a different look.

Key takeaways

• Kick-off is 7.30pm on Saturday 24 October, Malaysia time, at Villa Park.
• City have won all seven league games (21 points) but have lost their last three visits to Villa Park.
• Haaland is available. O'Reilly, Kovacic and Nunes are late checks, and Semenyo is out for around eight weeks.
• Villa are missing Ruggeri, Wan-Bissaka and Onana, and Manzambi needs a fitness test.

FAQ

What time is Aston Villa v Manchester City in Malaysia? The match kicks off at 12.30pm UK time on Saturday 24 October, which is 7.30pm in Malaysia.

Is Erling Haaland playing against Aston Villa? Yes. Enzo Maresca said Haaland is fully available after the foot problem that kept him from warming up against AEK Athens.

How long is Antoine Semenyo out for? Maresca expects the forward to miss around eight weeks with a knee injury.

Sources: Sports Mole, City Xtra, The False 9, Dave Sport, Fantasy Football Scout