Brian Little
ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

“It looks like Manuel Pellegrini might have warned is team that Villa will try to impress the manager and come at them and that is what’s happened so far.”

This is Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony's heatmap so far. More heat needed, Wilf. More heat.

Image source, Opta

City starting to exert their influence on the game, Yaya Toure starting to dictate play. The Ivorian floats a beautiful Paul Scholes-esque cross-field ball to the right, but the move breaks down.

Remi Garde stood on the touchline, clapping his hands, trying to gee his players up in a "come on, come on" type motion.

Image source, Reuters

Villa have been hogging the ball in the opening stages.

Image source, Opta

Micah Richards, the Aston Villa captain, playing against his old club will be wanting to make an impression. He steps out well out of defence to cut out an attempted through ball.

Villa have started the match well. They don't look like a team who are bottom of the table...at the moment.

Graham Taylor
BBC Radio 5 live

"It takes that bit of time for the players to understand what the new manager wants in the same way it takes time for the manager to understand his players. Remi Garde will learn a great deal from his players today."

Image source, AFP/GETTY

Gamble, Wilfried Bony, gamble!

Raheem Sterling takes his time before feeding in Aleksander Kolarov, whose flashed ball across the six-yard box evades everyone.

The City striker should have been in there though. That's the difference between a decent striker such as Bony and a world class frontman such as Sergio Aguero.

Full-back Alan Hutton's cross is too close to Joe Hart who gathers. City can finally get their foot on the ball and gain possession for the first time in the match.

The home side have started brightly. Jordan Amavi whipped in a nicely shaped ball from the left.

City have not touched the ball yet!

The home side get us under way at Villa Park.

Players are out on the pitch at Villa Park. Remi Garde gives a wave to his new supporters as he emerges from the tunnel.

As with all games this weekend, there is a minute silence to be observed in memory of those who have fallen in combat.

Image source, Reuters

New shape for Remi Garde, new style for Manuel Pellegrini. I'm sure they're talking football as opposed to hairstyles?

Image source, Reuters

Manchester City
Manchester City

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini on Sky Sports: "The position of Aston Villa makes this a tough game, they need a strong reaction. We talked with the players from Thursday after the Champions League game and we need to play a very intelligent game.

"The team has the whole season playing in a good way, we have had many injuries and had to make changes but we have a new style.

"We have very few players playing all of the games. Kevin de Bruyne did not play in midweek but it is important to have some rotation and rest.

"Fabian Delph is ready. We will see if he plays today, he is a very important player for us."

Image source, Reuters

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde on Sky Sports: "I will be proud after the game if we do something well.

"I just pick the team which I thought was the best. It doesn't matter to me which country the player is from. This is the only the first one, there are still 27 games to go. There is every chance for every player.

"I picked the team from what I have seen in training.

"We didn't have a lot of time but we try to give a new shape to the team. We are playing a very difficult team today so hopefully we will keep that shape."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Manchester City go into the match on a back of an impressive Champions League victory during the week.

They did it without summer signing Kevin De Bruyne, who started on the bench and has looked every penny worth of the £55m the club spent on signing him.

The Belgian has three goals and four assists in six league games this term and will be confident of adding that those stats at Villa Park today.

Dion Dublin has no idea how Remi Garde will get on at Aston Villa.

Ask Dion if he thinks you should take out a wall from the living room of a semi-detached and he'll talk to you about it for hours.

Dion Dublin
Former Aston Villa striker on Football Focus

Image source, Getty Images

"I'm surprised by the appointment of Remi Garde - he has only a little experience. But his players now need to step up to the plate and do what they can to get the Villa, a huge football club, back to where they ought to be. 

"But I have no idea how Garde will get on." 

Image source, Getty Images

A Frenchman who only wants English to be spoken, Remi Garde is already making his mark at Villa Park.

The former Lyon man has banned the speaking of French at the club, despite the club signing four players from Ligue 1 in the summer.

"It is very important we understand each other," said Garde. "It's also important that the English players speak slowly sometimes at the beginning. Everyone has to make an effort." 

Gerard Houllier was the last Frenchman to manage Villa. They'll be hoping it's not de ja vu all over again.