ANALYSIS KEY ISSUES FOR BLUES
NO SENSE IN PEP GUARDIOLA PICKING GREALISH
JACK Grealish took a big decision to leave his boyhood club in the summer in order to test himself on the biggest stage and relishes the chance to prove himself right and any doubters wrong.
The £100m man has not been fazed by the boos that have come his way this season - likely from many of the same people who got weak at the knees for him at Euro 2020 - and as well as wanting to return to Villa Park because it is his home, he would jump at the opportunity to show that he belongs in Guardiola’s squad.
It is a fight that the manager does not need to get involved with, though.
Grealish will likely come in for a mixed reception from a fanbase hurt at his decision to leave just a year after signing a long-term contract at Villa and who hold him partly responsible for the sacking of the hugely popular manager Dean Smith.
Guardiola has shown before a reluctance to involve players at the grounds of their former clubs Raheem Sterling at Anfield is the obvious one - and his words before the derby emphasised the need to stay cool and detached however passionate the fans may be.
It would be unfair on the City team to disrupt the groove they are in, and unfair on Grealish to throw him straight back into the team on a night where plenty will be looking for him to fail.
NEW MANAGER BOUNCE
STEVEN Gerrard has certainly enjoyed the start to his new gig, winning two out of two since moving down from Rangers where he broke Celtic’s stranglehold on the silverware.
If there has not been enough time for the coach to put his stamp on the team, the bounce that traditionally comes from a change in the dugout has not been stopped yet to make this fixture less ideal for City than it would have been a few weeks ago.
CLASH OF STYLES
TONIGHT’S game will see a stark difference in the way both teams approach the opposition goal.
City are out on their own in the division for the slow and intricate nature of their build-up play, passing teams to death before slipping in the killer ball that will undo the defence and open up a goalscoring opportunity.
Villa, meanwhile, are at the other end of the spectrum.
They are the quickest side in the league at sparking attacks, knocking together precious few passes as they race towards the goal with the ball at feet.
ON THE ROAD
THIS is the first of three consecutive away games in seven days: Watford and RB Leipzig await before next Tuesday is over.
That can be sapping with the extra strain of travel and time away from families, but it can also be useful for building momentum in a group that is forced to spend more time together.
City have already had two similar spells this season and suffered one defeat in each trio of matches; RB Leipzig would be the preferred choice this time if they have to lose one given there is nothing riding on the game.