Manchester City's Haaland fit for Aston Villa trip as club awaits 115-charge verdict
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The gist
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca confirmed striker Erling Haaland is 100% fit for Saturday's league game at Aston Villa.
City top the table on seven wins, but a 115-charge verdict and possible points deduction loom.
Background
Manchester City are the reigning Premier League champions' rivals at the top of England's top flight, managed this season by Enzo Maresca, in his first season in charge after previously coaching at Chelsea. Striker Erling Haaland, a Norway international, has scored 12 goals in nine games to start the season. City sit top of the table after winning their opening seven matches, three points clear of Arsenal, and travel to 12th-placed Aston Villa. Separately, an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League charges brought in February 2023, and the club have appealed.
How it unfolded
- Feb 2023The Premier League first levels its charges against Manchester City.
- Oct 17, 2026Erling Haaland scores twice in City's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town and is seen limping afterwards.
- Oct 19, 2026The Daily Mail reports the Premier League is pressing for the commission to publicly unveil the scale of City's punishment before an appeal is decided, and that City face a points deduction that could guarantee relegation.
- Oct 20, 2026Haaland is an unused substitute in City's 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens, with Phil Foden scoring a hat-trick.
- Oct 21, 2026Maresca says Haaland is 'okay to start on Saturday' after being benched for the AEK Athens game.
- Oct 22, 2026Maresca confirms Haaland is the only player 100% available for the Villa trip, with Matheus Nunes, Nico O'Reilly and Mateo Kovacic still doubtful.
- Oct 23, 2026Maresca confirms Haaland is 100% fit and available for Saturday's Premier League clash at Aston Villa, kickoff 12:30 p.m. BST.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Maresca says the mood is 'very good' and City are 'more hungry for more wins' after their perfect start, while calling it 'too early' to rule teams out of the title race.
- Premier League
- The Premier League said City's success between 2009 and 2018 was built upon 'sham contracts,' 'sham agreements' and 'sham commercial deals.'
- Club
- City described the official verdict as an 'opinion' born of a 'Premier League conspiracy theory' and have forcefully pleaded their innocence throughout.
Still unverified
The Daily Mail reported City face a points deduction that could guarantee relegation, and that the Premier League wants the punishment made public before the appeal is decided; the appeal outcome could arrive after January. There is no confirmation that Haaland's Ipswich knock was connected to an earlier issue with Norway.