Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini wary of Aston Villa under Remi Garde

Manuel Pellegrini has told Manchester City to scrap their perception of Aston Villa, insisting that they will be a different animal under new manager Remi Garde on Sunday.

City travel to the West Midlands for what will be the Frenchman's first game in charge of bottom-of-the-table Villa after replacing axed Tim Sherwood this week.

The Villans bring a seven-match losing streak into the contest, but Pellegrini has warned the Sky Blues not to be fooled by their current woes, claiming that Garde's presence is a game-changer.

"There are no easy games in the Premier League, especially against Aston Villa," the Chilean told a press conference on Friday.

"Always when you have a new manager, you have some reaction. They're at the bottom, they have a new manager, so they have the motivation not to be relegated."

Villa have managed just one Premier League win this season - a 1-0 victory at newly-promoted Bournemouth on the first day of the campaign.