Aston Villa is set to face Manchester City in the Premier League at Villa Park this Sunday. City will look to break their recent poor record at this venue, having lost their last three visits. Under the management of Unai Emery, Villa triumphed over City during the previous two seasons. This year, however, Manchester City comes into the match with strong momentum, winning seven of their last nine games across all competitions.
Currently, Manchester City is just three points behind league leaders Arsenal. They recently secured a 2-0 victory against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva. Haaland has been in remarkable form this season, scoring 24 goals so far. Aston Villa will need to contain the Norwegian striker if they aim to earn a positive result.
Aston Villa’s Challenges Before the Match
Aston Villa enters this match on the back of a disappointing defeat in the UEFA Europa League, where they lost 2-1 to Go Ahead Eagles. This loss ended their five-match winning streak. The team must improve their resilience if they hope to climb into the top half of the Premier League table.
Player Availability
Aston Villa will be missing key midfielder Youri Tielemans due to a calf injury. He is expected to return only after the November international break. Fellow midfielder Andrés García will also miss the match, while Lucas Digne is a significant doubt due to an ankle injury.
- Youri Tielemans: Out (calf injury)
- Andrés García: Out
- Lucas Digne: Doubtful (ankle injury)
The predicted lineup for Aston Villa is as follows:
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez
- Defenders: Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen
- Midfielders: Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana
- Forwards: Evann Guessand, Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Ollie Watkins
Manchester City Injuries and Expectations
Manchester City will also be without key players Rodri and Abdukodir Khusanov. Rodri has been sidelined since the October international break, while Khusanov is recovering from an ankle injury. Manager Pep Guardiola hopes to have Nico González available for selection after he sustained a foot injury against Villarreal.
The expected lineup for Manchester City includes:
- Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Defenders: Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O’Reilly
- Midfielder: Mateo Kovačić
- Forwards: Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland
Match Prediction
Aston Villa has a strong historical record against Manchester City at home. However, given both teams’ current form, City appears to be the favorite to secure a win. Expect both sides to put in a competitive performance, but Manchester City’s attacking power may prove decisive.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1 – 3 Manchester City
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