Aston Villa vs Manchester City: Projected lineups for the 2026-27 Premier League match

Unai Emery welcomes the champions to Villa Park in a match that will tell us plenty about where Aston Villa stand against the Premier League’s top sides this season.

Villa have put together a decent run, beating Newcastle 1-0 on October 17 and edging past Tottenham 3-2 back on September 19, though a 2-2 draw with Brentford on October 10 broke up the string of wins. The home side have shown they can grind out narrow results as well as score freely. A win here would be their biggest statement result of the campaign so far.

Manchester City arrive in red-hot form, having won three straight: 3-2 at Ipswich Town on October 17, 3-0 away to Liverpool on October 11, and 5-3 over Sunderland on September 20. They have scored at least three goals in each of those games, underlining the attacking threat Enzo Maresca has built. Another win would keep City firmly in the title conversation.

Emery sets Villa up in a 4-2-3-1, with Zion Suzuki in goal behind a back four of Matty Cash, Victor Nilsson Lindeloef, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen. Boubacar Kamara and João Gomes anchor midfield, giving cover in front of the defense against City’s attacking midfielders. Johan Manzambi, John McGinn and Emiliano Buendía support Nicolas Jackson up top, with the front four needed to create chances on the counter. Villa are missing Matteo Ruggeri, Modou Kéba Cissé, George Hemmings, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Amadou Onana, all out, which thins their options at full back and in midfield.

Aston Villa projected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash, Victor Nilsson Lindeloef, Tyrone Mings, Ian Maatsen, Boubacar Kamara, Johan Manzambi, João Gomes, John McGinn, Nicolas Jackson, Emiliano Buendía. Coach: Unai Emery.

Maresca lines Manchester City up in a matching 4-2-3-1, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal and a back four of Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández sit in the double pivot, screening for a front line of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and Jérémy Doku behind Erling Haaland. That setup gives City width through Doku and Gvardiol while keeping two bodies in midfield to track Villa’s runners. Manchester City have no absences for this trip, meaning Maresca can select his first-choice XI at Villa Park.