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The Gunners have recruited smartly this summer, but it's now down to their manager to be brave and select his best team

Arsenal could not have done much better in the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta identified his key targets early on and, David Raya aside, three were integrated into the squad in time for pre-season.

The early signs suggest that that trio of new arrivals are all going straight into the starting XI. Jurrien Timber adds extra ball-playing and versatility to the defence, Declan Rice is one of the best defensive midfielders around and Kai Havertz could be transformative if Arteta can unlock his mercurial talent.

These fresh faces complement a unit that came shockingly close to ending the club's wait for a Premier League title last season – something that was inconceivable when the campaign began. There will be no element of surprise this time around, with Arsenal pretty much universally tipped to challenge at the business end of the table.

Below, GOAL takes a look at how the Gunners should line up for the majority of their Premier League and European fixtures in 2023-24:

GettyGK: David Raya

It's hard not to love Aaron Ramsdale. A few eyebrows were raised when the Gunners spent £30 million ($38m) to bring him to the Emirates, on the back of successive Premier League relegations with Bournemouth and Sheffield United, but the Englishman has risen to the challenge over the past two seasons, becoming a firm favourite with the fans in the process.

Football is an unforgiving game though, and Arteta has shown typical toughness in pushing the club to sign Raya this summer. It might seem heartless, but expect to see the Spaniard usurp Ramsdale as Arsenal's No.1 this season. The numbers don't lie.

Raya registered the best save percentage in the Premier League last season and also comfortably bettered Ramsdale's post-shot xG minus goals allowed numbers – the latter being the most reliable, numerical indication of shot-stopping ability.

The data also suggests Raya is a better distributor. He completed 39.3 percent of his passes over 40 yards last campaign, while Ramsdale only managed 25.4%. In addition, Raya is a superior 'sweeper keeper', averaging more offensive actions outside his penalty area than Ramsdale.

All of this points to the same conclusion: Ramsdale's days as the Gunners undisputed No.1 are over. He will still contribute, with Arsenal primed to play more games than they have previously under Arteta if all goes to plan, but Raya is likely to start more Premier League matches.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Jurrien Timber

It may seem a little harsh on Ben White, who scarcely put a foot wrong last season, but Timber will most likely be Arsenal's starting right-back. The Gunners haven't spent €46 million (£40m/$52m) for the Dutchman to sit on the bench.

Timber was used across all three defensive roles in pre-season, but with Arsenal's centre-back positions occupied by one of the most assured partnerships in the league, slotting into a right-sided berth seems most feasible.

It's not an overstatement to describe the 22-year-old as one of the most technical defenders in the Premier League, and this calmness in possession perfectly suits the way Arteta wants his side to play.

Getty ImagesCB: William Saliba

William Saliba started the 2022-23 season in sensational form, with his performances scarcely dipping in quality until he suffered an untimely back injury in March. Arsenal's Premier League title bid fell apart in his absence, with the Gunners winning just five of their last 11 games without the Frenchman.

Keeping him fit and healthy is paramount if the north Londoners are going to mount another bid for Premier League glory this season. No one in reserve offers anywhere near as well-rounded a game as Saliba.

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Getty ImagesCB: Gabriel

The other half of Arsenal's tried and tested centre-back pair, Gabriel is set for another season in the heart of the Gunners defence. Although occasionally prone to a lapse in concentration or a rash challenge, the Brazilian has proved to be an inspired signing since arriving at the club from Lille.

No player in the Arsenal squad completed more passes than Gabriel last season and he also registered the best aerial duels won percentage, highlighting his importance to the team. If he's unavailable, White, Timber or Jakub Kiwior are capable of filling in. Rob Holding is still around, too…

A rampant Real Madrid side put six past Valladolid in a promising warm-up for their Copa del Rey contest with Barcelona midweek

Three goals in seven first-half minutes from Karim Benzema broke open a tight contest as Real Madrid cruised to a 6-0 victory over Valladolid.

Rodrygo opened the scoring after a dour start. Marco Asensio created it, dribbling through the centre of the pitch and slipping the Brazilian through — who drove his finish into the far corner.

Benzema made it two five minutes later, nodding Vinicius Jr's angled cross home from short range. He completed his hat-trick before half-time, with a fine curler and acrobatic flick, rounding out a devastating first-half showing. Asensio and Lucas Vazquez added two more in the second, turning a rout into a thrashing.

This win will likely be of little consequence in La Liga; Los Blancos trail Barcelona by 12 points in the league. But with the two sides due to meet in a Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday, it might just have been the perfect warm-up.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

Made one save early, a second after half-time. Spent the minutes in between watching.

Lucas Vazquez (8/10):

Impressed in a rare showing. Was reliable going forward, and bagged Madrid's sixth in stoppage time.

Eder Militao (7/10):

Did most of his work recycling possession.

David Alaba (7/10):

Didn't put a foot wrong before being handed a welcome rest after 70 minutes.

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Deployed at left-back once again, despite openly disliking the position. Looked far happier going forward.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (8/10):

Operated in a double-pivot with Kroos, which seemed to suit him more than as a lone No.6. Started the move for the first goal.

Toni Kroos (7/10):

Kept the ball moving, which is all he had to do, really.

Rodrygo (8/10):

Played as a 10 — his preferred position. Got on the scoresheet, grabbed an assist, made his case for a start on Wednesday.

Vinicius Jr. (8/10):

Operated on the left of a 4-2-3-1. A slightly deeper position didn't always suit him, but he set up two for Benzema. Almost had a hat-trick of assists, before a handball in the build-up saw the goal ruled out.

Marco Asensio (8/10):

Assisted Rodrygo's opener with a lovely run and through-ball. Bagged a goal of his own in the second half. Playing his way into a new contract.

GettyAttack

Karim Benzema (9/10):

Scored an easy one, a hard one, and an outrageous one. Two weeks off seems to have done the striker the world of good. If this Benzema shows up on Wednesday, Real will fancy their chances.

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GettySubs & Manager

Eden Hazard (7/10):

Is alive, apparently. Broke down a counter-attack with a silly handball before assisting in the 92nd minute.

Jesus Vallejo (6/10):

Had little to do defensively, but gave Alaba a much-needed rest.

Dani Ceballos (6/10):

Given a chance to impress after falling out of the XI in recent weeks. Typically slick on the ball.

Alvaro Odriozola (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Carlo Ancelotti (9/10):

Benched Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and Fede Valverde and switched formation to a slightly unfamiliar 4-2-3-1. And it worked wonders. Madrid were poor for 25 minutes, but once the goal went in, Los Blancos exploded. Ancelotti will hope for a similar attacking performance against a very good defensive Barcelona side on Wednesday.

Chelsea midfielder Sophie Ingle set a new record on Saturday as she became the player with the most WSL appearances in history.

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Sophie Ingle makes WSL recordMost appearances in WSL historyChelsea women in action against LiverpoolWHAT HAPPENED?

Emma Hayes named Ingle in Chelsea's starting lineup against Liverpool on Saturday which has now made her the player with the most number of Women's Super League appearances in history. Before this match, the midfielder was tied on 183 appearances along with former Birmingham City and Tottenham star Kerys Harrop.

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The 32-year-old first joined the Blues in the 2012/13 season but left the club after just one year to join Bristol City. She later spent three seasons at Liverpool between 2015 and 2018 before returning to Chelsea after a gap of six years.

Earlier this year, she was awarded the prestigious OBE for her services to the game.

WHAT CHELSEA SAID

Celebrating their player's achievement, Chelsea wrote on X, "Sophie Ingle will today become the @BarclaysWSL all-time appearance record holder. What an achievement!"

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Hayes' side will aim to register a win in the Liverpool clash and extend their lead at the top of the table to six points.

They are currently on a six-match unbeaten run in the league with five wins and a draw from their first six appearances.

Alex Wakely will resume his career as captain of Northamptonshire in all formats for 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2014Alex Wakely will resume his career after injury as captain of Northamptonshire in all formats for 2015. He previously did the limited-overs role in 2013, leading the county to the Twenty20 title, but suffered a ruptured Achilles on the pre-season tour of the Caribbean and has missed the whole of this season.Northamptonshire have had a miserable summer, relegated a distant last in Division One of the Championship and failing to make it out of the group stages of either the NatWest T20 Blast or Royal London Cup.The club are now looking towards the future, built around players such as Ben Duckett, James Kettleborough and David Willey, the latter who has been named vice-captain, with Stephen Peters being moved aside from the four-day captaincy he took on 2013 – leading them to promotion in the Championship – when Wakely was given the white-ball role.”I am completely honoured to have been asked to captain Northants Cricket,” he said. “It is something I have wanted to do ever since I came to the club as a 13-year-old.””I still have a lot I want to achieve with my own career and after a very frustrating year for me with my injury I cannot wait to get back playing. The responsibility of captaincy is something I have always loved and I hope I can play my part as we rebuild over the next few years”.”I will do everything in my power to make this club successful and I am excited about the challenge”.The head coach, David Ripley, said: “It’s an exciting opportunity for Alex and David to shape the future of Northants Cricket in the coming years. The cricket management team believe it’s time for a change in direction and to take a longer term view as we look to bring success back to the cricket club”.”Stephen captained the side for two seasons and he was instrumental in shaping the changes in attitude and structure that led the Club to possibly its most successful season in 2013″.”I would like to thank Stephen for his support and I look forward to welcoming Alex back to his leadership role and building on his impressive start in 2013″.

Adam Gilchrist and Jack Ryder will become the newest inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Sydney on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2015Adam Gilchrist and Jack Ryder will become the newest inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in Sydney on Tuesday. Gilchrist’s on-field exploits were sufficient for his inclusion, while Ryder benefited from the Hall of Fame’s recent decision to expand its criteria to include a player’s impact off the field after retirement.Gilchrist played 96 Tests and briefly held the world record for most Test wicketkeeping dismissals with 416, but it was his batting that made him an iconic player. Gilchrist’s explosive hitting was enough to turn a match in a few overs, and he finished his career with 5570 Test runs at 47.60, as well as 9619 at 35.89 in ODIs.”Adam Gilchrist and Jack Ryder made enormous contributions to Australian cricket in different ways,” Hall of Fame chairman David Crow said. “Gilly epitomised the cricketer we all loved to go and watch. He lightened up the game. We all wanted to go to see Gilly because he was such a high quality entertainer. He was able to combine his explosive batting with brilliant wicketkeeping.”Gilchrist said: “It’s a tremendous honour. I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to join such illustrious company, childhood heroes and icons of the game from previous eras which you grow up hearing about. No one sets out to earn these accolades. You play the game because you love it, so acknowledgements like this go beyond the thrill of playing for Australia.”Gilchrist also captained Australia in six Tests; Ryder was the 18th man to captain Australia and led the country in five Tests in 1928 and 1929. He played 20 Tests and scored 1394 runs at 51.62, but it was off the field that Ryder made his major contributions, including as a national selector from 1946 to 1970.”That’s where Jack excelled,” Crow said. “He made a fantastic contribution to the game over seven decades at national, state and club level. He had an amazing commitment.”The pair will take the Hall of Fame tally to 41 members, including its first female inductee, Belinda Clark, who joined the list last year.Hall of Fame inductees Warwick Armstrong, Richie Benaud, John Blackham, Allan Border, Sir Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alan Davidson, George Giffen, Adam Gilchrist, Clarrie Grimmett, Neil Harvey, Lindsay Hassett, Ian Healy, Clem Hill, Bill Lawry, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Charles Macartney, Rod Marsh, Stan McCabe, Glenn McGrath, Graham McKenzie, Keith Miller, Arthur Morris, Monty Noble, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Ponsford, Jack Ryder, Bob Simpson, Fred Spofforth, Mark Taylor, Hugh Trumble, Victor Trumper, Charlie Turner, Doug Walters, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Bill Woodfull.

Defending champions Sri Lanka exited the World T20 with defeat in their final appearance, meaning South Africa left with a consolation win in a contest that lacked intensity

The Report by Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details 3:13

Jayawardene: SL’s youngsters no more an excuse

Defending champions Sri Lanka exited the World T20 with defeat in their final appearance. Instead, it was South Africa who left with a consolation win in a contest that lacked intensity as they eased past their opponents, first by restricting Sri Lanka to a small score, and then by clinically chasing it down.For the first time in this World T20, South Africa’s attack had enough slow-bowling options – the two specialist spinners Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir, as well as the part-timer Farhaan Behardien – to strangle Sri Lanka’s spin-proficient line-up, minus the injured captain Angelo Mathews. South Africa’s bowlers left their batsmen a target of 121 and, with the ever-calm Hashim Amla as anchor, they had few problems reaching it.But the victory will not gloss over the bigger picture and South Africa will still have questions to answer about their performances in earlier matches. Sri Lanka will face the same scrutiny and have the added worry of a new niggle. Lahiru Thirimanne was helped off the field in the 11th over with what seemed like a hamstring strain. Dale Steyn, who spent much of South Africa’s summer on the sidelines, may sympathise with him.After sitting out the last two matches, Steyn was back to lead South Africa’s attack. He found early movement, but strayed down the leg side in his first over and came under attack in his second. Dilshan brought out his signature scoop to send Steyn to the boundary before Chandimal hooked and drove with power. With Kyle Abbott doing a decent job at the other end, Faf du Plessis’ only choice was to take Steyn out of the attack.He brought on Aaron Phangiso and at first, it seemed a strange decision. Dilshan would not be tied down by the left-arm spinner, as the batsman slog-swept and charged Phangiso. Chandimal aimed to do the same, but the stand-in Sri Lanka captain’s attempt failed when he played for turn to one that stayed straight and Phangiso snuck through the bat-pad gap and onto the stumps.Phangiso’s next delivery did not turn either but Thirimanne, who has been in wretched form, was drawn into the drive and missed. In the space of two balls, Sri Lanka’s innings was derailed, South Africa were in control and Phangiso was on a hat-trick.Having seen success through spin, South Africa continued with it and Tahir was brought on in the Powerplay. Dilshan and Milinda Siriwardana were forced to be more watchful. In frustration, Siriwardana tried to force a single off Phangiso but chanced the arm of du Plessis to his peril. South Africa dragged Sri Lanka back from a speedy start – after 45 runs came off the first five overs, only 32 came off the next five.To strangle them further, Behardien was asked to bowl and his pace off the ball drew Shehan Jayasuriya into a uppish drive to gift du Plessis a catch in the covers. Behardien proved his shrewdness when he had Dilshan trapped lbw and Tahir followed up by bowling Chamara Kapugedera with a googly in a four-over period during which South Africa conceded just 14 runs.Sri Lanka enjoyed some reprieve when Steyn returned but even not at his best, he had some joy. Steyn was doing his best to get the ball to stick in the pitch and when he did, Thisara Perera was drawn into a stroke early and offered a catch to cover. Sri Lanka were seven down and had yet to reach 100 with four overs left. Dasun Shanaka tried to accelerate, but he ran out of partners before the innings was up.If Sri Lanka suspected they did not have enough runs, South Africa’s start, even against spin, would have confirmed that. Quinton de Kock threw his bat at two of the first three deliveries, bowled by Jayasuriya, and found the boundary both times. But his haste was short-lived. In the next over, de Kock wanted a single that Amla had no interest in, and was run out.The early breakthrough gave Sri Lanka some hope and Chandimal played his hand early. Rangana Herath bowled the third over and Amla and du Plessis treated him with requisite respect, but where they could, they scored. Amla used his wrists to whip Herath off his toes and to the boundary, easing the pressure on du Plessis, who took his time to settle.Three overs went by without a boundary before du Plessis swept Herath and then Vandersay to keep South Africa on track. South Africa’s slow-burn was only ignited when du Plessis was given out lbw off Lakmal and the batsman showed some irritation to indicate he thought the ball had met the toe-end of the bat. However, the Feroz Shah Kotla crowd did not mind seeing the end of him, as the wicket brought AB de Villiers to the crease.”AB, AB,” resonated around the stadium, even though their favourite player operated largely in a supporting role. De Villiers was a spectator as Amla brought up 1000 T20I runs and his second fifty of the tournament, but there was still a bit for him to do. De Villiers struck a six off Shanaka before hitting the winning runs in similar style off Lakmal, with 2.2 overs to spare.

Joao Felix was angrily confronted by former colleague Jose Maria Gimenez before being pulled away by Koke during Barcelona's clash against Atletico.

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Felix confronted by GimenezKoke stopped the fight between the two playersLoanee scored in win over parent clubWHAT HAPPENED?

Joao Felix, who is on loan from Atletico Madrid, scored the only goal of the match against his former club as Barcelona edged out Diego Simeone's side in La Liga on Sunday.

During the match, Felix had a heated exchange with former team-mate Jose Maria Gimenez who angrily confronted the striker after committing a foul on him outside the penalty box.

AdvertisementWHAT GIMENEZ SAID

As per RMC Sport, Gimenez told his former colleague, "Do you want to fight?" To which Felix responded, "You hit me, you hit me." That further angered the Atletico defender who said, "Yes, do you want to fight or what?"

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Los Colchoneros skipper Koke was quick to react to the situation as he pulled his colleague away and warned him that he could pick a second yellow card and get sent off. The Spanish international said, "Here, calm down. Don't you see? He's looking for you to get a second yellow card."

Earlier in the game, Gimenez was shown a yellow card for a challenge on star forward Robert Lewandowski.

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WHAT NEXT FOR JOAO FELIX?

The Portuguese star has been a regular for the Catalan club since joining in the summer. He has appeared in 17 matches so far, scoring five times and providing three assists.

He will be next seen in action Sunday when Xavi's side take on Girona in another crucial La Liga fixture.

Everton's hopes of waiving a £10 million fee for Dele Alli could be over after they apportioned blame to Tottenham for their points deduction.

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Everton attempting to waive Alli feeSpurs could end negotiations Toffees critical of Richarlison dealWHAT HAPPENED?

Everton signed Dele from Tottenham on a free transfer in January 2022, bringing to an end his seven-year stay in North London. The Toffees also agreed to pay Spurs a £10m fee once the English midfielder passed 20 appearances, and he is now seven games away from reaching that total.

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According to the , Everton held talks with Spurs last month over a potential restructuring of the Alli deal. The Toffees would struggle to pay his fee in full due to their current financial problems, and Tottenham were open to a settlement that would suit all parties. However, the report also states that Spurs have reacted angrily to a claim from Everton in the 41-page written judgment published by the Premier League last week in relation to Richarlison's transfer to the club in the summer of 2022.

DID YOU KNOW?

Everton claim that Daniel Levy's refusal to fork out £80m ($100m) for the Brazilian forward led to their points deduction for breaching the Premier League's financial rules. The Toffees ended up settling for a fee that was £20m ($25m) short of their original valuation, which the club says was "directly attributable to PSR calculation difficulties". states that Spurs find the accusation against their chairman 'absurd' and it has been suggested that the relationship between the two clubs has been damaged beyond repair.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DELE ALLI?

The independent commission ultimately rejected Everton's attempt to use the Richarlison deal as mitigation for their over-spending, which has left Dele in limbo. The 27-year-old has not played any competitive football since picking up an injury while on loan at Besiktas in February. Everton boss Sean Dyche has left the door open for Dele to get back in his team if he can prove his fitness, but the former England international has also been battling mental health problems away from the pitch and it's not yet clear when he will return to action.

Manchester City are facing an anxious wait on the fitness of goalkeeper Ederson after he pulled out of the Brazil squad due to injury.

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Keeper picked up knock in Chelsea epicWithdrawn from Colombia and Argentina fixturesCity assess foot injury ahead of Liverpool showdownGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 30-year-old suffered a foot injury during Sunday's epic encounter with Chelsea and has withdrawn from the Brazilian squad to face Colombia and Argentina in World Cup qualifying this week. Ederson is one of a number of players that Pep Guardiola has concerns about ahead of a huge clash with Liverpool when the Premier League resumes.

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Nathan Ake and John Stones both missed Sunday's game and Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee. City were unable to name their full complement of nine substitutes for the match, naming only six outfield players alongside two goalkeepers.

Getty ImagesWHAT GUARDIOLA HAS SAID

"Kevin is long-term, John was injured unfortunately, Nathan was injured yesterday or the day before. The rest are OK," Guardiola told the media after the match. "I like to work with a small (group). It's so tough if five, six, seven players don't play minutes, they don't like that. It's what it is. So, if we have injuries, it's unlucky, but we have done all the time. For many years we've had this type of squad."

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

Guardiola might be happy working with a small squad but he'll have his fingers crossed that his goalkeeper will be ready for Liverpool's visit to the Etihad on November 25.

Alisha Lehmann gave an honest assessment of Aston Villa's disappointing WSL loss against Everton, which leaves them down in tenth.

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Villa suffer home defeat against EvertonNathalie Bjorn penalty wins game for visitorsLehmann came on as second-half substitute WHAT HAPPENED?

Villa went in to the game high on confidence after a four-match winning streak in all competitions, which included a 7-0 rout of Blackburn Rovers in the FA WSL Cup. Lehmann scored a brace in that contest but found herself back on the bench against Everton, who earned a 2-1 win at Villa Park thanks to an own goal from Anna Patten and a 74th minute penalty from Nathalie Bjorn.

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Lehmann came on as a substitute just after the hour mark but ultimately failed to make a meaningful impact as Villa slumped to their sixth loss in eight games at the start of the 2023-24 WSL campaign. The 24-year-old reacted to Villa's latest setback on her stories, and issued a rallying cry to her team-mates. "Hard to take. But we keep going and stick together," Lehmann wrote.

DID YOU KNOW?

Villa scored 14 goals during their recent four-match winning run, and created plenty of chances once again on Sunday afternoon. The home side managed 14 shots to Everton's eight and had double the amount on target compared to their opponents, but they lacked the clinical edge to pick up a positive result. England international Rachel Daly did get Villa back into the game in the 55th minute as she smartly turned a Kirsty Hanson cross into the net at the near post, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

Villa will now have the chance to regroup as the international break comes into effect. Lehmann will hope to be back in the starting XI when Villa return to club action on December 9, with a tough trip to high-flying Manchester City on the cards for Carla Ward's struggling team.