Aston Villa vs Manchester City 24 October 2026 Prediction

Manchester City have won all seven of their Premier League matches, but a trip to Villa Park could be their toughest test yet. Aston Villa started the season poorly but are unbeaten in six straight matches across all competitions, with five wins. Villa have also won City’s last three visits to Birmingham.

Aston Villa: Improved Form After a Slow Start

Villa’s losses to Brighton (4-0), Arsenal (1-0), and Nottingham Forest (2-1) left them near the bottom of the table. A 3-1 League Cup win over Coventry was followed by a 3-2 Premier League victory at Tottenham. Villa then drew 2-2 with Brentford and beat Newcastle 1-0. In the Champions League, they defeated Fenerbahçe 6-0 and Viking 3-1. Unai Emery’s side have nine points from three European matches.

Villa have several injury concerns ahead of City’s visit. Wan-Bissaka is expected to miss three to four weeks, Ruggeri will be out for more than a month, and Onana remains sidelined long-term. Manzambi picked up a minor injury after scoring the winner against Newcastle and missed the Viking match. His availability is uncertain. Maatsen has returned to training and was on the bench Wednesday. Kamara and João Gomes are likely to start in central midfield, where Villa will need to defend compactly and move the ball quickly to Buendía, Alisson, and Jackson after turnovers.

Manchester City: Rotation Ahead of Villa Park

Enzo Maresca’s team have a perfect Premier League record: seven wins, 21 points, and a 19-7 goal differential. After winning 3-0 at Anfield, City lost 4-2 to PSG in the Champions League. They responded with a 3-2 win over Ipswich and a 5-1 victory against AEK on Tuesday. Foden scored against Ipswich before hitting a hat trick against AEK. City have produced 2.16 expected goals in the Premier League, compared with Villa’s 1.21.

Maresca was able to rest players before the trip to Birmingham. He made eight changes for the AEK match, and Haaland did not play. The Norwegian’s injury is minor, and Maresca has confirmed he is fully fit. Semenyo is City’s main absence and is expected to miss around two months with a knee injury. Nunes, O’Reilly, and Kovačić will be assessed closer to kickoff.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Predicted Lineup

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, João Gomes; McGinn, Buendía, Alisson; Jackson

Unavailable: Onana, Ruggeri, Wan-Bissaka (injured); Manzambi, Cissé (doubtful)

Manager: Unai Emery

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandes; Foden, Cherki, Doku; Haaland

Unavailable: Semenyo (injured); O’Reilly, Kovačić, Nunes (doubtful)

Manager: Enzo Maresca

Referee: Peter Bankes

Last Premier League season, Bankes averaged 3.91 yellow cards and 22.41 fouls per match. He issued four red cards and awarded six penalties in 22 matches. This season, he is averaging 3.75 yellow cards and 20.5 fouls.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Prediction: Aston Villa or Draw

Main prediction: City’s seven straight league wins make them the favorites, but Villa have won five of their last six matches in all competitions and scored 18 goals in that span. They have also beaten City on their last three visits to Villa Park, where the visitors have not won since 2021. City remain strong, though they have conceded seven goals in their last three matches. The pick is Aston Villa or draw at 2.28.

Goals prediction: Villa have scored 18 goals in their last six matches, five of which featured at least four goals in total. Three of City’s four matches since the international break have produced at least five goals: 4-2 against PSG, 3-2 against Ipswich, and 5-1 against AEK. Foden and Cherki are in form, while Haaland should be rested. The pick is over 3.5 goals at 2.36.