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Villa v Man City team news: Haaland + Manzambi start, Foden sub

24 October 2026 340 comments
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There are only four Premier League matches on Saturday, but there are some tasty-looking fixtures among them.

We start with an intriguing game at Villa Park, as the resurgent hosts – unbeaten in six competitive matches, scoring 18 goals along the way – entertain the Premier League leaders.

Aston Villa v Manchester City kicks off at 12.30pm BST.

TEAM NEWS

Both sides make four changes from their UEFA Champions League wins in midweek.

Johan Manzambi is fit to start for the hosts after missing out against Viking, while Ian Maatsen makes his first post-injury appearance.

Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara also come back in after midweek breathers.

Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley and Ibrahim Mbaye make way. Buendia loses his ever-present starter status in the Premier League as a result.

It was pretty much signposted by Enzo Maresca anyway but the big City news is that Erling Haaland starts. The Norwegian limped off the field at the end of the Gameweek 7 victory over Ipswich Town and was then an unused substitute against AEK Athens.

Iliman Ndiaye, Jeremy Doku and Marc Guehi all return to the side after rests on Tuesday night.

Midweek hat-trick hero Phil Foden is the big-name casualty, dropping to the bench. Floyd Samba, Allan and Rico Lewis are less surprising omissions after rare starts in the Champions League.

Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic shake off injuries to make the bench but Matheus Nunes misses out.

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Gomes, Alysson, Manzambi, McGinn, Jackson.

Subs: Bizot, Mings, Barkley, Buendia, Mbaye, Bogarde, Goretzka, Madjo, Hemmings.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Rulli, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Bouaddi, O’Reilly, Foden, McAidoo, Lewis.

LIVE GAMEWEEK 8 PAGE + MATCH CENTRE

Villa v City

You can follow all the day’s action via the Live Gameweek page, which you can find in the FPL Toolkit section.

Here you can track the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DefCon) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out.

And there’s also the all-new Match Centre to explore. Here, you’ll find stats, heatmaps, rolling xG graphs and more on every Premier League fixture.

A lot is free for all, with Chief Scout Members getting full access.

340 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Digital-Real
    5 hours, 40 mins ago

    At what min is Cherki hooked for Foden?

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    1. Supersonic_
      5 hours, 39 mins ago

      60 probably

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      1. Digital-Real
        5 hours, 38 mins ago

        Think Maresca makes the change at half time to Foden

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        1. Feanor
          5 hours, 37 mins ago

          Hope so. I have Foden in challenge

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    2. Bobby Digital
      5 hours, 39 mins ago

      57

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  2. Supersonic_
    5 hours, 40 mins ago

    Gonzo to Isak or Jacko?

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    1. Feanor
      5 hours, 38 mins ago

      I got Isak and 4.3 Hughes in yesterday for Wissa and KDH.

      But if Isak gets another knock, I’ll be thrilled to move down to Jacko.

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      1. PogChamp
        5 hours, 34 mins ago

        Yeah I’ve done the same strategy. Jackson will be a decent replacement but hope Isak can stay fit.

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  3. Bobby Digital
    5 hours, 39 mins ago

    Cherki YC

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  4. g40steve
    5 hours, 39 mins ago

    Cherki YC

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    1. Feanor
      5 hours, 38 mins ago

      He’s jiving his owners again

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  5. Salalalalah
    5 hours, 36 mins ago

    Has Haaland even touched the ball yet? Villa all over City this half

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    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      5 hours, 36 mins ago

      He normally needs 7 touches

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      1. JBG
        5 hours, 35 mins ago

        6 more to go

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  6. g40steve
    5 hours, 36 mins ago

    Enzo heavy touch

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  7. GoonerSteve
    5 hours, 35 mins ago

    Cherki 0 pointer loading

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  8. Feanor
    5 hours, 34 mins ago

    Forgot I started Buendia in challenge since he’s a 5 year player getting double points. Double zero is zero.

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  9. Jafooli
    5 hours, 33 mins ago

    Cherking his responsibilities again…

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  10. JBG
    5 hours, 32 mins ago

    Wtf happened just then??

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  11. fusen
    5 hours, 31 mins ago

    At the same time, I don't want to call Jackson "fixture proof" but there is a reason I played him in this game against City (apart from City have had a poor defence this season)

    But a forward who plays 90 minutes for a good team can basically end up scoring in pretty much any game (in they are in some level of form)

    Pretty happy with this front three going forward in any game -

    Haaland, Pedro, Jackson

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    1. fusen
      5 hours, 30 mins ago

      You could swap Isak in for either Pedro or Jackson and that'd also work nicely

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    2. JBG
      5 hours, 30 mins ago

      Starting Jackson was such an easy decision for owners.. Ipswich could've/should've had 3 goals against City last GW and City in general are bad atb.

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      1. fusen
        5 hours, 5 mins ago

        They have been awful defensively

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  12. JBG
    5 hours, 31 mins ago

    Ndiaye have been so bad after his good debut for City.

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  13. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    5 hours, 30 mins ago

    Currently Haaland's 5th game in a row not scoring against Villa

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    1. JBG
      5 hours, 30 mins ago

      Don't you dare reverse jinx this

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  14. F4L
    5 hours, 29 mins ago

    dont understand if you're maresca, and you dominate, like absolutely play off the park the best team in the world for 45mins with a mid of bouaddi, anderson and enzo, why you dont play that in a fixture like this. let the wingers come inside, let anderson roam, he is wasted playing where he is atm.

    haaland with no service whatsoever, dont think ive ever seen him have as many chances in one half as he did vs psg in that second 45

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    1. JBG
      5 hours, 27 mins ago

      Trying to be Pep so hard.. just complicating things for no reason. But also fck those cheats.

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    2. GENERATION X
      5 hours, 26 mins ago

      Needs Foden up with him in the 9.5

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  15. Esraj
    5 hours, 25 mins ago

    I lost 35k rank because this game kicked off.

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  16. Dynamic Duos
    5 hours, 24 mins ago

    Trying so hard not to rage transfer Cherki to Manzambi

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    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      5 hours, 22 mins ago

      Will be incredibly popular this GW

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    2. Snoopydog
      5 hours, 14 mins ago

      Yup

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  17. el polako
    5 hours, 19 mins ago

    How come I don’t see any “captain fail” posts?
    Community here matured?
    Or nobody captained Haaland?

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    1. BeaversWithAttitude
      5 hours, 11 mins ago

      Teenaged managers not up before 2pm on a Saturday?

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  18. g40steve
    5 hours, 17 mins ago

    Foden time

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    1. g40steve
      5 hours, 16 mins ago

      Rico on for Guehi & Cheki off

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  19. Esraj
    5 hours, 16 mins ago

    Cherki off.

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  20. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    5 hours, 15 mins ago

    Cherki 0 points in the last 2 GWs,

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    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      5 hours, 14 mins ago

      Big win for analytics focused managers, as FPLReview/Solio has never liked him

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      1. fusen
        5 hours, 4 mins ago

        Minute risk players are always looked down on by models

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  21. Djerbil
    5 hours, 15 mins ago

    Lol @Cherki owners

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  22. Royal5
    5 hours, 15 mins ago

    Got to get rid of Cherki, every transfer fails

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  23. lilmessipran
    5 hours, 14 mins ago

    Haaland captain fail

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    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      5 hours, 10 mins ago

      It is crazy how well the Gandhi early KO captaincy rule seems to work every time

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    2. g40steve
      5 hours, 7 mins ago

      Timing

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  24. Digital-Real
    5 hours, 14 mins ago

    It's either Haaland or nobody from City in FPL

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  25. JBG
    5 hours, 14 mins ago

    Sold Jerky and Gvardiol last GW for Vuskovic and Doku. One of the few good things I've done.

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  26. PartyTime
    5 hours, 13 mins ago

    Maresca is a real bald fraud. Learnt over excessively from Pep

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    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      5 hours, 12 mins ago

      To be fair he took off the two players on yellow cards

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      1. g40steve
        5 hours, 11 mins ago

        That weren’t effective

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        1. keefy59
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          5 hours, 7 mins ago

          Yes another reason

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  27. SM001
    5 hours, 12 mins ago

    Grief Cherki

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  28. g40steve
    5 hours, 11 mins ago

    Andersen wtf

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  29. Gudjohnsen
    5 hours, 10 mins ago

    MGW outscoring Cherki by 1 point.

    Geat success

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    1. JBG
      5 hours, 10 mins ago

      2*

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  30. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    5 hours, 10 mins ago

    Haaland goal

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    1. g40steve
      5 hours, 9 mins ago

      Boom

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