Keiran C: So after covid break Villa are at full strength and 2 weeks more rested than City. Could be a tough night for City

Here come the subs, need some layers tonight. I'd be asking if I could watch on from hospitality.

John Stones, goal machine, is back in the side tonight.

One of the great redemption stories, Man City have conceded just three goals in their last 14 league matches with Stones on the pitch.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

None of the last eight teams to face Manchester City have been able to stop them - will a combination of Storm Christoph and Aston Villa manage it tonight?

City did not do any shooting practice in their warm-up just now, and have no strikers starting this evening - Sergio Aguero is still isolating and Gabriel Jesus is on the bench - but they don't seem to need either, because 11 different players have found the net for them in that winning run, scoring a total of 20 goals between them.

If Pep Guardiola’s side make it nine wins in a row this evening, they will go top of the Premier League for the first time this season, at least until Manchester United face Fulham later anyway.

Image source, BBC Sport

A sole groundsman forks the turf behind one of the goals as the rain hammers away. Could do with the groundstaff from the cricket ground down the road in this weather.

The players head back inside for a hot drink.

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has formally agreed to trial the use of permanent concussion substitutes.

Clubs approved the trial during a shareholders meeting on Wednesday, although there is no start date yet.

The trial will begin when the "implementation of the reporting processes" has been resolved.

The new rule means up to two permanent substitutions can be made in the event of head injuries, even if all replacements have already been used.

It's a tough ask coming to Manchester City.

The Aston Villa XI have played 12 PL matches at the Etihad combined and only one has avoided defeat in a match - Ross Barkley in Jan 2016 with Everton (0-0).

Aston Villa

Dean Smith's side have won two of their three fixtures this season against clubs currently in the top four.

The Villans need one more league victory to equal the nine they achieved throughout the whole of last season.

A weird old season in every way - but yes, no doubt it's delivering at the top end of the table.

Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Grealish has been directly involved in 12 goals in 15 Premier League matches for Aston Villa this season (5 goals, 7 assists), the most by a Villa player in their first 15 games of a top-flight season since Dalian Atkinson in 1992/93 (9 goals, 3 assists).

If anything the rain has got stronger. Grim times.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

It has been raining a LOT in Manchester this week but the good news is the game is still on and Aston Villa have arrived by team bus, rather than team boat - three of them to be precise.

The Etihad pitch is looking pristine despite the best efforts of Storm Christoph, which is just as well because the last thing either side need is a postponement.

City have got no room in their future fixture list as it is, while it is already 19 days since Villa’s first-team were in action, down the road at Old Trafford. Their players looked and sounded quite pleased to be back out on a Premier League pitch when they inspected the surface a few minutes ago.

Manchester City

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Pep Guardiola says Manchester City still "need" Sergio Aguero even though the club's record scorer has played virtually no part in their drive towards the Premier League summit.

Aguero has not scored a league goal this term. "We miss him," manager Guardiola said.

"The numbers speak for themselves. He is the best striker in our history."

He added: "We need Aguero." The Argentina forward has played a total of 141 minutes across five appearances this season.

Manchester City

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Manchester City have won 14 of their past 15 home league games against Aston Villa, including the last 10 by an aggregate score of 33-4.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Manchester City make three changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace 4-0 on Sunday.

Joao Cancelo, Rodri and Phil Foden come in for Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus - that trio drops to the bench.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Foden

Subs: Steffen, Jesus, Zinchenko, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Garcia, Bernabe

Image source, BBC Sport

The coronavirus outbreak at Aston Villa means their first-team have not played since New Year’s Day, when they were also in Manchester and lost 2-1 to United at Old Trafford.

Almost three weeks on, they return to action and make one change from that game, with Ross Barkley, fit again after a hamstring injury, replacing Anwar El Ghazi.

Nine unnamed Villa players and five backroom staff members tested positive for Covid-19.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Ngoyo, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, Traore, Grealish, Barkley, Watkins

Subs: Heaton, Taylor, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Engels, Guilbert, El Mohamady, Davis, Ramsey

Aston Villa

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: "It's nice to be out the house! We haven't played since New Year's Day so we're fresh but we don't know how fit they are. It's the unknown but we've picked a team that is good enough to compete.

"They are on a winning run but we're unbeaten in 18 days!

"There's a storm about but hopefully it won't hit us tonight."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City have won a reputation as the Premier League's great front-runners this season - now they must be taken seriously after moving out in front as an increasingly unpredictable race for the title unfolds.

The Foxes have proved impregnable when they have gone ahead this term, the 2-0 win over Chelsea the 12th time in 12 league games this season they have claimed three points after going ahead.

So should we take Leicester seriously as Premier League title contenders? It would be patronising in the extreme not to.

Read more from Phil here