Aston Villa host Manchester City at Villa Park, Birmingham in Gameweek 8 on Sat 24 Oct, 12:30 BST. Aston Villa are 12th on 8 points from 7 games (form DLWDW), Manchester City are 1st on 21 (form WWWWW). The FPL deadline is Friday 23 October 2026, 18:30 BST, so check team news before you lock your squad.
Aston Villa: team news
Aston Villa have scored 7 and conceded 11 in 7 league games, and last time out it was W 1–0 at Newcastle United in GW7. At home they have 1 points from 3 games. Official FPL list, 2026-10-21: Manzambi (calf injury: 75% chance of playing); George Hemmings (knee injury: 75% chance of playing); Maatsen (ankle injury: 75% chance of playing); Wan-Bissaka (hamstring injury: Expected back 21 Nov). Expected shape: 4-5-1.
Aston Villa Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 4-5-1
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Manchester City: the story so far
Manchester City have scored 19 and conceded 7 in 7 league games, and last time out it was W 3–2 v Ipswich Town in GW7. Away from home they have 9 points from 3 games. Official FPL list, 2026-10-21: Semenyo (knee injury: Unknown return date); O'Reilly (back injury: 75% chance of playing); Matheus N. (unspecified injury: 75% chance of playing). Expected shape: 4-5-1.
Season snapshot
- Aston Villa: W 3–2 at Tottenham Hotspur, D 2–2 v Brentford, W 1–0 at Newcastle United.
- Manchester City: W 5–3 v Sunderland, W 3–0 at Liverpool, W 3–2 v Ipswich Town.
- Table before this round: Aston Villa 12th (8 pts, GD -4), Manchester City 1st (21 pts, GD +12).
Tactical edge
Johan Manzambi against Manchester City's defence is the matchup to watch: Manchester City have conceded 7 in 7. In the other direction, Erling Haaland faces the Aston Villa defence that has conceded 11 in 7. FPL rates this fixture 4/5 for Aston Villa and 3/5 for Manchester City, where 5 is hardest.
Fantasy angle
- Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa, £6.0m): averaging 7.5 points a game (30 in total), FPL projects 6.0 for this round, 2.8% owned.
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, £15.7m): averaging 8.3 points a game (58 in total), FPL projects 9.5 for this round, 76.8% owned, on penalties.
- Jérémy Doku (Manchester City, £7.5m): averaging 6.3 points a game (19 in total), FPL projects 9.0 for this round, 2.5% owned.
- Clean-sheet angle: Marc Guéhi (Manchester City, £6.0m) away from home, with Manchester City the side our model rates less likely to concede (1.0 expected goals against).
- Differential: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City, £5.5m) is owned by just 7.7% and averages 4.1 points a game.
Verdict
Our model, built on 2026/27 goals scored and conceded, gives Aston Villa a 15% win chance, a draw 19% and Manchester City 66%, with 0–2 the single most likely scoreline. Expected goals: 1.0 for Aston Villa, 2.3 for Manchester City. Manchester City are clear favourites on the numbers, but only 7 games have been played, so treat it as a guide rather than a certainty.