Leon Bailey gets new role as Emery makes two big changes - Aston Villa predicted XI v Man City - gallery

Aston Villa head northwest on Sunday to take on a challenging fixture against Premier League title challengers Manchester City. With just over a week since they were defeated 4-2 on home turf by Leicester City, Unai Emery and his men will be keen to put on a much better showing.

Going forward, the Villans looked fairly impressive last time out with plenty of chances created, but they were the architects of their own downfall as at least three of the four goals they conceded could have easily been avoided. The same issues keep propping up, with defenders struggling to pass out from the back.

Emery admitted post-match last weekend that he may need to mix things up slightly in order to avoid the same errors happening again, though he was adamant his philosophy would pay off in the long run. This was the opinion of Brendan Rodgers too, so it will be interesting to see if there are many - or any - adjustments made.

City head into the clash on the back of a difficult week to say the least. If losing to Tottenham Hotspur in their last match was not enough already, the club was charged with 101 alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules (FFP) on Tuesday. This could well have knocked their focus a tad ahead of facing Villa.

Pep Guardiola’s side will still no doubt provide a huge threat, however, as they are just five points off Premier League leaders Arsenal and they will be desperate to close back in after a humbling defeat. Emery will likely have to set up his side a little differently, knowing the Cityzens’ tendency to keep hold of the ball for long periods.

With that in mind, here is the Villa starting XI we think Emery will go with for the game, in a 4-4-2 formation. See below.