Aston Villa vs Man City Lineups, Preview, Prediction and Team News | Premier League, December 21, 2024

Aston Villa vs Man City Preview

• Tournament: Premier League
• Date: Saturday, Dec 21
• Kick-off Time: 12:30 pm GMT
• Venue: Villa Park, England

The Cityzens will travel to Aston Villa for their 17th game of the 2024/25 Premier League season at Villa Park. The Villans will be looking to continue with their momentum despite their 2-1 loss to Nottingham over the weekend.

The Hosts Aston Villa are one of the mid-table squads in the Premier League who are aiming to enter the top half of the table after finishing 12th in the league last year. Aston Villa have lost only once at home and are once again competing for the top four this season.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men are undergoing a disappointing run of results under the Catalan coach and are sitting nine points behind league-leaders Liverpool.

Aston Villa Team News

For the home side, Ollie Watkins sustained a minor injury in the game against Nottingham Forest and will be assessed this weekend. Leon Bailey is expected to be out with a hamstring issue whereas Jacob Ramsey will remain sidelined with a thigh injury.

Man City Team News

As for Man City, they would be without first-team injured players Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg) and Nathan Ake (thigh) who will only see action in 2025. Defenders Manuel Akanji and John Stones are also expected to be out but the squad would be boosted with the return of Rico Lewis who was suspended in the Manchester derby. Ederson is expected to start in between the sticks in this cup tie.

Aston Villa vs Man City Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; Philogene, Rogers, McGinn; Duran

Defenders: Cash, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen

Midfielders: Onana, Tielemans

Forwards: Philogene, Rogers, McGinn; Duran

Man City predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Ederson

Defenders: Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis

Midfielders: De Bruyne, Kovacic

Forwards: Silva, Foden, Nunes; Haaland

Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have faced off only 181 times in the past, with Aston Villa securing only 58 wins. Man City have recorded 81 wins between both sides, whereas the remaining 42 games ended in a draw.

Key Players to Watch in Aston Villa vs Man City

Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)

Colombia forward Jhon Duran has been a great asset for Emery’s Aston Villa off the bench. The 21-year-old has already scored 11 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.

Erling Haaland (Man City)

The 24-year-old Man City striker has been scoring goals for fun since his arrival at the Etihad. This term, Haaland has continued his robust form and is leading the Premier League chart with 13 goals in 16 league games.

Aston Villa vs Man City Prediction

The hosts sustained a heart-breaking last-minute defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest in their last game. Aston Villa are currently 7th in the league standings with 25 points and have been impressive at home. Unai Emery’s team will aim to continue with their momentum despite their recent defeat as they are only two points behind the visitors in the Premier League table.

As for Man City, they will be aiming to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby. Pep Guardiola’s side will aim to return to winning ways as they have recorded only a single win in their last 11 matches and the manager has a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders. This has arguably been the worst period for Man City under Pep Guardiola and Villa could take advantage of the City’s current misery.

Predicted Score: Aston Villa 1-3 Man City

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