Friday, October 2, 2009

Aston Villa v Manchester City

Aston Villa    v    Man City

    Barclays Premier League
    Venue: Villa Park Date: Monday, 5 October 2009 Kick-off: 2000 BST
    Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & live on ESPN

    TEAM NEWS

    Steve Sidwell could earn a Villa recall, having recovered from the hamstring strain that caused him to miss the defeat at Blackburn.

    Luke Young is unlikely to start his season until after the international break as he builds up his fitness.

    Emmanuel Adebayor returns from a three-match suspension for Manchester City, having escaped a further ban for his goal celebration against Arsenal.

    Fit-again striker Roque Santa Cruz is likely to be among the substitutes.

    Aston Villa

    Suspended: None Doubtful: L Young (match fitness)

    Injured: Bouma (ankle), Davies (shoulder), Downing (foot)

    Manchester City

    Suspended: None Doubtful: None

    Injured: Benjani (hip), Kompany (toe), Onuoha (thigh), Robinho (ankle)

    MATCH PREVIEW

    Manchester City's Sky Blue thinking has clouded Aston Villa's chances of breaking into the top four this season, but Martin O'Neill's side have so far risen to the challenge.

    It is definitely a game to savour, even at this early stage in the season

    Villa manager Martin O'Neill

    A home victory would lift Villa level on points with a City side already making good on its promise to upset the established order. If Mark Hughes' team win this game it will represent their best start to a top-flight season.

    A key contributor to that form has been Gareth Barry, the first signing of City's £200m summer outlay, who returns to Villa Park for the first time since severing his ties with the club after 12 years. He - and the home supporters - could be forgiven for mixed emotions.

    Villa boss Martin O'Neill believes the club have adapted well to the loss of Barry, and his side had made its best start to a season for 11 years prior to last weekend's defeat at Blackburn.

    606: DEBATE
    Have your say on the match

    Richard Dunne unwittingly helped provide both goals for Rovers in that match, but has a point to prove after accusing Manchester City last month of forcing him out of the club he had served for nine years.

    MATCH FACTS

    Head-to-head

    • Villa beat Manchester City at home for the first time in seven attempts on the opening weekend of last season. Gabby Agbonlahor scored an eight-minute hat trick in the 4-2 win - the second fastest in Premier League history.

    • City have won ten of the last 15 league and cup meetings against Villa home and away, losing just twice.

    Aston Villa

    • Villa's last-minute defeat at Blackburn last weekend ended a six-match winning streak in all competitions.

    • Villa have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League this season (five).

    • They are attempting to keep a third successive clean sheet at home for the first time in two years.

    • Gabby Agbonlahor could become the first Villa player to score in five consecutive league matches since Paul Rideout in the 1984-85 season.

    • Fabian Delph has made 49 career league appearances.

    Manchester City

    • City's return of five wins from their opening six games is their best start to a top flight season since 1961-62. They went on finish 12th that season.

    • They have won all five league matches this season when they have opened the scoring - the best record in the division.

    • Emmanuel Adebayor has scored in all four of his league matches for City.

    • Shay Given is set to make his 400th English league appearance.

    • Gareth Barry made 440 appearances for Villa between May 1998 and May 2008.

    LEADING GOALSCORERS

    Gabby Agbonlahor

    Aston Villa

    Agbonlahor: 5 goals (4 league)

    Emmanuel Adebayor

    Manchester City

    Adebayor: 4 goals (4 league); Tevez: 3 goals (2 league)

    MATCH OFFICIALS

    Referee: Mike Dean

    Assistant referees: Richard West & Mark Scholes

    Fourth official: Chris Foy

    LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

    Aston Villa (L1-2 v Blackburn, a): Friedel; Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Milner, Delph (Heskey 57), Petrov, A Young, Carew, Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Beye, Gardner.

    Man City (W3-1 v West Ham, h): Given; Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips (Santa Cruz 80), De Jong, Barry (Johnson 89), Petrov, Tevez, Bellamy. Subs not used: Taylor, Richards, Garrido, Sylvinho, Weiss.

    MOST RECENT MEETING

    Man City 2-0 Aston Villa (4 March 2009)

    Man City scorers: Elano, Wright-Phillips

    о 4:26 AM

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