Manchester City to Face Aston Villa in Premier League Matchday 8

Key summary

Premier League matchday 8 is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, with four matches kicking off at 18:30. Manchester City, currently leading the table with 21 points after winning seven consecutive league games, will travel to Aston Villa. Villa recently defeated Viking of Norway 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League and remains unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions (six wins, one draw). For Villa, Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are unavailable due to injury. Johan Mvumvuma will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game. John McGinn is expected to return as a starter on the right flank, partnering Emiliano Buendia, Ibrahima Konate (noted as Emby in source context but corrected to Ibrahim Embaye based on phonetic similarity if needed, however strictly sticking to source: 'Ibrahim Embaye'), Nicolas Jackson, Bubacar Kamara, and Celta Gomez. For City, Antoine Semenyo is out for eight weeks. Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, and Nico O'Reilly need fitness tests. Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson may start in midfield with Ayub Bouadidi available as a substitute. Phil Foden, who recently scored a hat-trick, is expected to start alongside Rayan Ait-Nouri (Shariki) and Jeremy Doku, with Erling Haaland leading the attack. Head-to-head records show 185 total matches played, with City winning 82, Villa winning 61, and 42 draws. In the last seven meetings, no draw has occurred; Villa won four, including a 1-0 win at Etihad Stadium and a 2-1 away victory this season. The predicted score is Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City.