Pellegrini hopes for quick Aguero return

LONDONSmiles have been in short supply at Aston Villa this season with the club enduring their worst ever start to a campaign but there was a few relief from the gloom as they held Premier League leaders Manchester City to a 0-0 draw on Sunday. The Villa centre-half clipped Sterling just inside the area, but the theatrical nature of the City attacker’s fall left referee Craig Pawson gesturing for him to get to his feet.

Aston Villa have lost five and won none of their last six Premier League games at Villa Park and failed to score in four of those games.

Villa manager Garde was also proud of his new charges after his side hung on grimly for a morale-boosting point after a seven-match losing sequence in the league.

Aston Villa and Manchester City have confirmed their starting line-ups for their Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon, per the club’s respective Twitter accounts.

“It is very hard for me to say how they will approach it. It depends on the mentality of the new manager, it depends on a lot of things”.

It became clear earlier this year that there had been contact with Newcastle as Remi Garde confirmed at the time, the only doubt was whether an actual concrete offer had been made.

“We can do it if we are concentrated and play with intensity and especially if we understand if will be a tough game”.

– Delph return -The game will see City midfielder Fabian Delph return to Villa Park for the first time since his controversial move to Manchester in pre-season.

City reacted to their sluggishness in the first half with ten minutes of constant bombardment on the Villa defence.

No one’s really quite sure what to expect from Aston Villa under their new manager.

A delighted Garde, appointed after Villa sacked former manager Tim Sherwood, told the BBC: “It was a nice experience and a fantastic atmosphere”.

“He’s a professional player”. Jack Grealish cannot be expected to be an enforcer – although he needs to start impacting on games more – and while Carles Gil remains a crowd favourite he must produce to justify the praise. Czech Republic worldwide Kozak, unknown to Villa fans why, hasn’t played since impressing in pre-season, Agbonlahor looks a distance figure to the player who once showed a clean pair of orange boots to opposition defenders on a weekly basis (ultimately summed up against Spurs with eight touches in the first half, two from kick-off, the lowest in the league this season) and Sinclair, a player who seems to shine one week then not the next.

The midlands club have scored just 10 goals – the second lowest in the division – this season and conceded 20 and Garde, who has Micah Richards back after a ban, insisted the key to success is simple.

“I know that in January it’s a transfer window. I will try to do my best with this team with the view I want”.