First Half: Aston Villa 0-0 Man City - live on Sky Sports
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Updates, teams and tables
Teams: Watkins starts for Villa | Foden returns for City
Man City will go top if Arsenal lose and they beat Villa
FREE in-game clips and highlights in this blog | Sky Bet
Arsenal 0-0 Palace | Bournemouth 0-0 Forest | Wolves 0-0 Burnley
Commentary by Patrick Rowe and Peter Smith
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe:
"No one in a Villa shirt closes him down!"
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Reijnders picks the ball up outside the area and space opens up for him, with no Villa players closing the midfielder down, but his shot whistles just over the bar!
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Silva times his run well and is found by Savinho between the lines but no one for City is there to latch onto his cut back into the box!
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Kamara intercepts Savinho's second cross of the day and sparks a Villa counter but Buendia's threaded pass to Watkins is mopped up by Dias.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
First chance of the day falls to Buendia on the volley. Digne hurls a long throw into the box, which is a common theme in the Premier League this season, before it falls to the playmaker outside the area.
His effort balloons over the bar. The crowd applaud it nonehteless.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe:
"We expected Stones to play in the backline but he's playing in midfield alongside Reijnders as a midfield pair...
"He drops into the backline when Aston Villa have the ball."
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
City look a touch frustrated that they can't move forward immediately and it leads to Gvardiol spraying a wayward pass across the field, which rolls out of play for a Villa throw.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
Patient play to get us started.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
KICK OFF!
We are under way at Villa Park, live on Sky Sports!
Can the hosts make it four league wins in a row or will City stake their claim to move to the top of the table?
Time to find out...
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Here come the players!
Aston Villa and Man City emerge from the tunnel as we approach kick-off at Villa Park...
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No Elliott for Villa today...
Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe:
"Interesting to see no Harvey Elliott in the squad for Villa today. There were high hopes from the fanbase after that loan move with an obligation to buy was completed on Deadline Day - but it just hasn't gone to plan yet."
Team news reminder!
Five minutes to go until kick-off at Villa Park...
Buendia's big impact!
No player in the Premier League this season has more goals and assists combined as a substitute than Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendía (2 goals, 1 assist).
The Argentinian is looking to score in consecutive Premier League appearances for the very first time.
Can he make the same impact in the starting line-up?
Pep: Villa are a CL team and Emery is one of my favourite managers
Man City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports:
"They are a Champions League team. He [Emery] is one of my favourite managers.
"They are good. Set pieces, defensively and they play in a way that is different to 99 per cent of teams in the Premier League.
"I like Unai, his development and understanding is better and better. That is why he has had incredible success."
Today's venue...
Villa Park is ready and waiting ahead of hosting Manchester City, live on Sky Sports, today.
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Hendrie: Villa need to start performing better
Sky Sports' Lee Hendrie:
"They have been a different outfit this season. They miss players who have left the club.
"They have to start performing at a better level. Watkins has come under a lot of criticism by fans.
"I do put him having limited chances [as the reason]. He plays on his own and is reliant on the likes of Rogers, Guessand and McGinn.
"They are not players who will run past players. They miss [Jacob] Ramsey, [Moussa] Diaby and Leon Bailey."
Emery: We have beaten City but they are better now
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaking to Sky Sports:
"To beat City is very difficult. We can analyse how and why we did it but different moment.
"We are trying to get out structure as strong as possible, we beat them last year and two years ago. Today is a different match, they are better now.
"They are playing good and dominating. They will try and push us defensively. Of course, we are trying to avoid everything tactically that they want to do.
"With the ball, we have to try dominant sometimes and avoid their press."
On stopping Erling Haaland: "Good question! He is amazing how he is playing.
"He has started the season so good and this is our challenge, a collective challenge."