Brad Guzan: “Remi Garde has brought a calm demeanour”

But while his injury leaves them without both frontline strikers, Sergio Aguero, who has been out for four weeks, is expected to be fit again after the global break.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan has praised new manager Remi Garde, explaining that he has brought a “calm demeanour” to the club, just a week after becoming the new manager.

Delph played down the negative reception at Villa Park but thanks City fans for backing him during the game.

“It was a hard game on the back of a good Champions League performance”. “I hope that we return better after the internationals with these important players available”, the Chilean added. “It will be easier for us to have a striker”.

From the corner Fernando shot over but it was the first sign City were stirring, even if they lost Wilfried Bony to injury after 24 minutes. He was quite okay in the training sessions and I thought he could be useful for the team.

Garde said: “Jack is among the young players”.

“There were a lot of very close range chances that just weren’t going in so if you can’t score, don’t concede”.

Garde rang the changes after replacing Tim Sherwood and ended the bottom club’s seven-game losing streak in the Premier League.

“Eleven games have been played and we have five points but the spirit we’ve shown makes me think we can do it”. Nine out of ten of games like this you may lose on the counter attack. It is a massive job after such a diabolical start for Garde to steer us to safety, it’s going to take the 12th man to roar them on and that is what we do best.

Garde insisted that they weren’t just being picked because they shared a nationality with him though, saying: “Yes but they are not back because they are French or I knew them. We haven’t managed to get three points at Villa but now we look forward and will try to win the next one”.

The result saw leaders City drop two points, but it was not as bad as second-placed Arsenal missing the chance to leapfrog Pellegrini’s side at the summit after being held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur. “They were not at it, you can complain and say maybe if Aguero was there, he would have finished, but he wasn’t”.