Emery demands more from Aston Villa as Manzambi fitness doubt clouds Manchester City visit

Aston Villa go into Saturday's Premier League meeting with Manchester City on the back of a midweek boost, having extended their own 100% start in the Champions League by beating Viking 3-1 on Wednesday.

Unai Emery was delighted with that performance and made clear his side will not be allowed to ease off as the domestic campaign continues.

"We are approaching each match as an objective to get better and to be consistent in Europe and in the league," he said after the win over Viking. "We are trying to be very demanding in how we are preparing and responding on the field. We must feel strong and confident to do our best. There is still work to do."

Villa's slow league start, and a home worry

The league picture has been far less comfortable. Villa failed to win any of their first four Premier League games this season (D1 L3), although they have since won two of their last three (D1).

The home form is the bigger anomaly: the Villans are winless in all three of their top-flight home games so far this season (D1 L2), and they have not had a longer wait for a home win at the start of a campaign since 2015-16, when the run stretched to nine.

Manzambi a doubt as history favours Villa

Emery may have to do without Johan Manzambi, who is a fitness doubt after missing the Viking win. The midfielder-forward has made an instant impression in the Premier League: he has been involved in a goal in each of his three starts, scoring two and assisting two. No Villa player has ever had a goal involvement in each of their first four starts in the competition.

If fit, he will face a City side that arrives with seven wins from seven. Historically, though, this fixture has not been kind to the visitors: Villa have won four of their last six Premier League games against City, as many as in their previous 35 against them (D5 L26). City have lost their last two league meetings with Villa, and they last lost three in a row against them between August 1962 and September 1966.

Villa are also unbeaten in their last three top-flight home games against sides starting the day top of the table, beating Arsenal 1-0 in December 2023 and 2-1 in December 2025, and drawing 2-2 with Liverpool in February 2025.

City's threat, and what Opta expects

City's perfect record still shapes the model's view of the match. Erling Haaland, confirmed fit by manager Enzo Maresca, has scored the most goals in the Premier League this season (eight) and leads the competition for shots (27) and shots on target (13). Haaland scored on his first Premier League appearance against Villa but has not scored in any of his last four against them.

City's form also carries historical weight: a win would make them the eighth side to win each of their first eight games of an English top-flight season, after Everton in 1894-95 (first eight), Sheffield United in 1903-04 (eight), Tottenham in 1960-61 (11), Manchester United in 1985-86 (10), Liverpool in 1990-91 (eight), Chelsea in 2005-06 (nine) and Liverpool in 2019-20 (eight).

The Opta supercomputer backs the visitors: Aston Villa 31.7%, draw 25.3%, Manchester City 43%.