Rewind back to May 2022, and Manchester City famously battled back from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and secure the Premier League (PL) title, but nine months on things are very different in East Manchester.

City trail PL leaders Arsenal by five points coming into the round while having played a game more. There’s also an enormous charge sheet of around 100 Financial Fair Play breaches from the PL hanging over them which only serves to compound their misery.

Having experienced one of the most turbulent weeks off the field in their 143-year history, Manchester City return to Premier League action with the visit of Aston Villa to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last time out, while the visitors are looking to bounce back from a defeat of their own after going down 4-2 to Leicester City.

Keeping players focused on the top-flight title race has been a thankless task for Pep Guardiola in recent days, as Man City take to the pitch for the first time since being charged with over 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules relating to sponsorship income, revenue and operating costs.

While the Citizens have emphatically denied the charges – which have now been passed on to an independent commission – a sombre atmosphere would have surely been present at the training ground this week, as players and staff rack their brains regarding their futures in Manchester.

We know what Pep Guardiola thinks of the 100-plus charges aimed at Manchester City by the Premier League, with the manager accusing the division’s other 19 sides of plotting against the Blues and condemning them before they had any chance to defend themselves. Guardiola wants to create a siege mentality, and you can expect the City fans to rally behind him after a turbulent few weeks.

Players to watch: City’s Riyad Mahrez has netted the decisive goal during a victory in four of his last five scoring appearances. Villa may look to Ollie Watkins to be their game-winner, with the frontman going in search of a third successive PL scoring appearance for the first time ever.

Hot streak: An Emery-managed team has never beaten a side led by Pep Guardiola (D4, L8).

Manchester City Premier League form:

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Manchester City form (all competitions):

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Aston Villa Premier League form:

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Aston Villa form (all competitions):

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