Aston Villa v Man City LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more today

Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland, who has scored just once in five appearances.

“I prefer to play with Erling,” said Guardiola. “I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play – absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.

“Always I play false nines for the quality specifically of the players I have in that moment.

“In some games playing man to man, I love to play against false nines but I have an Erling, I have to adapt.

“I see him well, I see him fine. The reason why maybe he’s not so productive in this situation is for the way we are playing, that we don’t produce the amount of chances that we were able to do in the past.

“When he’s surrounded by two or three or four central defenders it’s not easy for him. We have to play better, to create the spaces for him.”

Unai Emery insists Pep Guardiola is “the best” coach as Aston Villa seek to pile further misery on Manchester City.

City have lost eight of their last 11 games in all competitions, winning just once in that sequence, and fallen nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Premier League champions have also played a game more than Arne Slot’s table toppers and face a tough weekend assignment with a Saturday lunchtime date at Villa Park.

But Villa boss Emery has no doubt over what he is coming up against, saying of his fellow Spaniard Guardiola: “He’s the best. I’m a little bit surprised (about Manchester City’s form), but it’s football.

“It’s a very tough match and an exciting match for us. We’re respecting them a lot.”

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City may look to do business in the January transfer window – something that he has rarely done while in charge of the champions.

But City are struggling and have a long injury list, although Guardiola has said that any new recruits will not be stop-gap signings.

“We’ve spoken about doing something. If it’s in winter it’s if we really we need it or if we can really find something – (but) not for just four or five months.

“We’ll see. I don’t know how many times in the last years we’ve gone into the winter (market) – maybe just Aymeric Laporte seven years ago.

“We’re not a big fan of that but the circumstances of this season have been special. We have to see if something is possible and if not we will wait until the summer time.

“In the winter it is more difficult to do. Teams don’t want to sell and they are so expensive.”

So Jack Grealish starts on his return to Villa Park. Mateo Kovacic also returns for the visitors, as does John Stones. There’s no Ederson in Man City’s squad, with Stefan Ortega starting in goal. Kyle Walker is fit but drops to the bench.

Jhon Duran starts ahead of Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa and Boubacar Kamara partners Amadou Onana in midfield, with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans either side. Morgan Rogers starts against his former club.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash; Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers, Duran.

Subs: Olsen, Mings, Barkley, Buendia, Watkins, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.

Man City XI: Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Grealish

Subs: Carson, Walker, Ake, Doku, De Bruyne, Savio, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee.

“I’m the boss, I’m the manager, I have to find solutions but I don’t find solutions,” Pep Guardiola said after last weekend’s defeat against Manchester United. “This is a big club and when you lose eight of (11) something is wrong. You can say the schedule is tough or the injuries to players, but no.

“I’m the manager and I’m not good enough, simple as that. I have to find a way to talk to them, to train them in the way we need to play, to press the way we need to press. I’m not good enough. I’m not doing well. That is the truth.”

Phil Foden says Manchester City’s players continue to believe in the “process” and manager Pep Guardiola despite rivals Manchester United extending their wretched recent run.

“We are still nowhere near our level, but I still believe that we are playing good enough to get points and results,” Foden said after last week’s defeat in the derby.

“It’s about remaining focused throughout the full 90 minutes, but we keep switching off at important times. We just need to get the focus right.

“We stick together, regroup and believe in ourselves after what we’ve achieved in the past.

“We keep believing in the process and the manager – I’m sure if we do that we will get back to winning ways and get back to our level.”

Aston Villa are seventh in the Premier League and saw a run of three wins in a row crash to a halt with a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Forest scored in the 87th minute and again in stoppage time, had Villa held on they would have come into today’s match above Man City in the table.

And Unai Emery said: “We are being consistent, but to be in the top level we need more in everything. We are patient with our process.

“We are accepting everything in our way, trying to get better.

“Tactically, emotionally, mentally, we are trying to get experiences, winning and sometimes losing, trying to be positive as well.”

Pep Guardiola has backed Erling Haaland to deliver as he seeks to turn around Manchester City’s poor form, but has not ruled out January signings.

City are enduring a slump unprecedented in Guardiola’s glittering managerial career having lost eight and won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions.

Amid the downturn the usually prolific Haaland has dried up in front of goal, with the Norway striker – isolated and starved of chances – scoring just once in his last five appearances.

Yet although the supply lines are clearly faltering, Guardiola has no interest in changing approach and reverting to the false nine system that has served him well in the past.

“I prefer to play with Erling,” said Guardiola ahead of the Premier League trip to Aston Villa. “I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play – absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.”