Manchester City welcome Dean Smith's Aston Villa to the Etihad Stadium as the champions look to apply early pressure to Premier League leaders Liverpool ahead of a 12:30 kick-off.

City will take confidence from a big Champions League win in midweek, beating Italian outfit Atalanta 5-1 with goals coming from Sergio Aguero and an 11-minute hat-trick from Raheem Sterling.

Having scored at least three goals in eight of their last nine home matches against Villa, City will be looking to take all the points against a side without a clean sheet away from home this season.

Though Villa are in good nick themselves, having won two on the bounce for the first time in the Premier League since May 2015. A late Matt Targett goal handed Villa all three points against Brighton last time out.

Away from Villa Park, Dean Smith's side have won two of their last three in all competitions, scoring ten goals. Keeping the back door shut at the Etihad will be the real test as City's Kevin De Bruyne, Sterling and Aguero all impressed in midweek.

Pep Guardiola himself has never lost back-to-back home league matches in his managerial career. After losing to Midlands club Wolves, its Villa’s turn to challenge the champions.

Team News

Pep Guardiola will have to contend without the injured Rodri and Oleksandr Zinchenko, whilst Aymeric Laporte remains out.

Both David Silva and Bernardo Silva are likely to be recalled into the side, whilst Phil Foden, who started against Atalanta, is the obvious candidate to make way.

Barring Jota, Aston Villa have a clean bill of health fro the trip to Manchester. The Spaniard underwent surgery for a hernia last week. Douglas Luiz could start against the team he left in a £15million switch to Villa Park last summer.

Manchester City predicted XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Mendy, Gundogan, Bernardo, Silva, Sterling, Mahrez, Aguero.

Aston Villa predicted XI: Heaton, Guilbert, Mings, Engels, Targett, Nakamba, Luiz, McGinn, Grealish, Trezeguet, Wesley.

Head-to-Head

City have kept clean sheets in five of their previous six matches against Villa and have scored 17 goals in that time.

Villa have won only once in their previous nine against City who last lost a home Premier League tie to the Villans in 2007.

Guardiola and Smith talk

Both bosses expressed admiration for their respective jobs, with Guardiola crediting Villa's ranks.

He told Man City for TV: "Team spirit, their quality up-front. Wesley is an incredibly strong striker."

“They’re newly promoted and they’re getting good results. It looks like a good environment."

Dean Smith is relishing the "ultimate test" against his Spanish counterpart.

He told club TV: “His record speaks for itself.

“As a coach, I love how he’s adapted his game.

“Look at Barcelona when he first took over there. They were a dream to watch in terms of the way they played.

“But then he went to Bayern Munich and adapted to the players he had there.

“You’d very rarely see Barcelona score from crosses, it would be intricate passing movements and playing through teams.

“But, with Bayern and the personnel he had there, he used the wide players to get balls into the box. That’s the sign of a good coach, you adapt how you play.