I have to tell you I like a little attitude in a player. But if you are going to walk around and act that way, you also have to deliver. Very few players can get away with it. And arguably, the toughest role on the pitch to have is that of striker, so if you are going to have that attitude, you best score the goals.
If you don't score the goals and you have that attitude, you're not going to last long.
I write this knowing nothing but there was speculation in January that Jhon Duran wanted out because he wasn't getting enough game time and thought he was better than that. Now, I don't know if that is true, but in football there is often no smoke without fire.
Well, tonight, he has the opportunity to make everyone forget that. Tonight is his night to shine against arguably one of the best sides in the game. And even if he doesn't have an attitude or think he's better, tonight is still a great night for him, if he starts, to show the world what he is made of.
It's up to him to take it.
And it's also a great opportunity for us. At Villa Park, we put in a performance that no other side ever had against Manchester City and that also includes everything that has happened since. If we can repeat that performance, we'll get a result tonight. But it will be tough.
It was made even tougher because Spurs didn't get the result that could have put them fourth last night against West Ham. They didn't choke, I'm not going to be the one that writes that about Spurs, but they missed an opportunity. But they will have more, much like we will, regardless of what happens tonight.
Now, all that written, get yourself stuck into the match facts below, I'm going to get stuck in to some cheese on toast. Catch you all later.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 in December and are vying for their first league double against them since 1962-63.
- City have won 17 of their past 18 home league games versus Villa, including each of the previous 13.
- The Villans' most recent league victory at the Etihad Stadium was on 28 April 2007, when John Carew and Shaun Maloney scored for the visitors.
Manchester City
- City are winless in all six Premier League fixtures this season against teams currently in the top five of the table (D4, L2).
- Sunday's goalless draw with Arsenal ended their club record run of scoring in 57 consecutive home games in all competitions.
- The last time they failed to score in back-to-back matches at the Etihad Stadium was March 2016, when Manuel Pellegrini's side drew 0-0 with Dynamo Kyiv and then lost 1-0 to Manchester United five days later.
- Manchester City have drawn seven Premier League fixtures this season, their highest figure since sharing the points nine times in 2016-17.
- Erling Haaland has failed to score in 12 of his past 17 appearances for club and country, including each of the last five, though he still has 10 goals in total during this run.
- Kevin de Bruyne is two short of 100 goals for Manchester City in all competitions and is set to become the seventh player to make 250 Premier League appearances for the club.
Aston Villa
- Unai Emery's side are unbeaten in five Premier League away matches since losing at Manchester United in December (W3, D2).
- Victory against Wolves on Saturday was their 18th top-flight win of the season, matching their final total in 2022-23.
- Aston Villa's solitary victory in their past 30 league fixtures away to reigning top-flight champions was 1-0 versus Manchester United in 2009.
- Villa's shot conversion rate in the league this season is 14.4%, the highest they have recorded in a top-flight campaign since such data was first recorded in 1997-98.
- Moussa Diaby has been involved in four goals in his last four Premier League appearances, scoring once and registering three assists, despite starting just one of these games.