Aston Villa vs Manchester City: Ready for Primetime?

It’s City, finally, and a funny time to be playing them given their recent form and the 3-3 draw with Spurs. They’re not at their best and they need a win, never mind the three points.

For Villa, it’s inevitably going to be seen as a referendum on both our aspirations and quality. Anytime you’re an outsider dancing around the top 4, well, there are going to be questions until you notch a signal victory. Is tonight the night? No idea. It’s why I don’t bet or make predictions. I’m terrible at them, even if I have pretty good gut feelings.

In Emery’s presser, the stakes were clearly addressed, along with the fact that it’s three points on offer, another match. But he clearly addressed the opportunity to show who Villa are. So, a bit of both-sidesism, but you can understand why. Unai is winless in 11 against Pep, so he’s certainly not new to the challenge.

Me: Sure it’s very significant if we win. Also significant to draw. The only real negative would be to lose badly. To win, though, would be all about building and reinforcing belief.

When it comes to losing badly, the factors most generally of concern are Villa’s high line, Torres and Konsa against Haaland, and City’s press. Doku versus Cash or Konsa could also be a bit of a nightmare. Any one of these consistently going wrong could see Villa in for a long night. So we’ll see how Emery sets things up, and the game plan ought to be obvious early on. Emery pointed out that City do score, which he’s not wrong about. But Villa score, too, and City aren’t airtight at the back. They’re also without Rodri, which probably is significant, much more so than Grealish’s absence given Doku’s arrival.

Another factor is that Villa are now playing European games like City but without the same depth. Not that having a week to refresh and prepare has done much for us in the past, but it’s a new element in the mix. Who knows, maybe at this point in the season it’s a plus having played and drilled more with a wider variety of tactical and physical challenges. Sometimes not having time to dwell can be a plus, likewise having won ‘big’ games like the Legia match last week. And City did have to exert a lot against Spurs. This is a City side that isn’t quite as imposing from the bench so far this season as it has been.

With Haaland, he’ll have his chances. Probably the most important element of Villa’s plan will be to deny him service as much as possible. Easier said than done, though.

I will admit, our collective Villa trauma certainly is working on me right now. While it is only game, and City are struggling, it sure seems set up for disappointment and a lot of subsequent slagging off from Those Who Desperately Need to Say Something About Everything, not least because I expect some urgency from City. In the course of the season, though, it is only one of 38 matches.

So, of course I’d like to see us show up mentally, switched on from the start. I’d like to see us scrap in the middle and limit City’s chances. I’d like to not see Doku running riot down the left. Would be more than happy with a draw, unless of course it turns out to be a draw that feels like a defeat. Even though it would still be a result.

Anyway. That’s where I’m at.

Over to you.