Villa boss reveals he will tell his players that Man City are not superhuman

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has revealed what he will tell his players prior to this weekend's clash against Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Villains enter the game in good form and confidence will be high after Matt Targett's late goal secured all three points against Brighton last weekend.

Nevertheless, Smith believes his side has a real chance to leave the Etihad Stadium with a positive result and has revealed what he'll tell his players before they walk on to the pitch.

"My final message when we go over the white line will be 'listen they're not superhuman, they are human just like yourselves, if you run harder than them and you're mentally stronger than them, you've got a good chance," he told Aston Villa's official website.

"It's 11 v 11. The mental side of going into games like this is so important – 'don't fear them, respect them by all means because they are top players'.

"But we have players who want to be top players and have the potential to be – so there's your stage, go and show it."

Smith highlighted the fact City have already been beaten twice this season, but admitted he is well aware Pep Guardiola will be desperate to get a win as they chase Liverpool in the standings.

He added: "They are the champions of England for a reason. They don't lose many games, although they have lost a couple this year.

"They're chasing Liverpool at the moment because they are some points behind them.

"It's a tough place to go, we know that, but we have great belief in ourselves."