Thursday, March 28, 2024

Prediction: Manchester City vs Aston Villa

Verdict: Manchester City win & both teams to score

Best Odds: 2/1

Bookmaker: Unibet

Knowing that they’re 90 minutes away from reclaiming their Premier League crown, Manchester City will welcome Aston Villa to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester City

Starting with the hosts, while Manchester City might have been disappointed to have seen Liverpool mount a comeback on the south coast earlier in the week, Pep Guardiola’s men still find themselves sat in pole position. Opening Sunday’s meeting at the Etihad holding just a one-point buffer at the top of the table, the former Bayern Munich boss will be desperate for his side to avoid a real banana skin this weekend. Although the Sky Blues might have been last seen having to settle for an action-packed 2-2 draw away at West Ham, City are in the midst of a domestic purple patch. Despite shockingly seeing their Champions League adventure come to an end out in Spain earlier in the month, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in each of their last 11 Premier League matchups. With that free-scoring run stemming all the way back to February 19th, Sunday’s hosts should be relishing Villa’s arrival this weekend when all eyes from across Europe fall on the Etihad.

Team News

Manchester City will once again be without the defensive trio of John Stones, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker on Sunday afternoon.

In his final appearance for the Sky Blues, 37-year-old Fernandinho will likely join Aymeric Laporte at the back.

Aston Villa

As for the visitors, while many around the midlands might have been excited by Steven Gerrard’s arrival back in November, Aston Villa have failed to find much stability under the one-time Liverpool icon. Last seen earlier in the week having to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against relegation scrappers Burnley, they have largely failed to build off of back-to-back victories from earlier in the month. In fact, the former Rangers boss has seen his side record just a pair of victories from their last 10 attempts, a run that stems back to March 10th. With it all but confirmed that they will have to settle for a bottom-half finish this season, Villa should also be worried by a dreadful record against Sunday’s opponents. Suffering a 2-1 defeat when they welcomed Manchester City to the midlands back on December 1st, Gerrard’s men have lost each of their last eight straight meetings against the English heavyweights.

Team News

All missing out against Burnley in midweek the trio of Leon Bailey, Kortney Hause and Ezri Konsa are not expected to feature on Sunday afternoon.

Both having to settle for a spot on the bench a few days ago, Danny Ings and Philippe Coutinho will be hoping for a recall here.

Key Factors to Consider

    • When the two sides faced off at Villa Park on December 1st, Manchester City picked up a 2-1 victory.
    • Likewise, Sunday’s hosts have won each of their last eight straight meetings against Aston Villa across all formats.
    • Gerrard’s side have managed to win just a pair of their last 10 Premier League matchups, a run that stems back to March 10th.
    • Manchester City are unbeaten in each of their last 11 top-flight fixtures, a run that goes back to February 19th.
    • Seven of the last eight meetings between City and Villa have finished with over 2.5 goals.

    Conclusion

    While Manchester City might have had to settle for a single point against West Ham last weekend, Guardiola’s men should be confident of finishing off their job here. Opening their final meeting at the Etihad holding just a one-point buffer over Liverpool, the Sky Blues are enjoying a domestic purple patch over recent months. Unbeaten in each of their last 11 Premier League matchups, City will also be boosted by a rather rampant record against Sunday’s guests. Claiming a 2-1 win when they made the trip to Villa Park back on December 1st, it should be noted that the English heavyweights have won each of their last eight straight showdowns against this weekend’s guests. While we do expect another enjoyable affair from Manchester here, we’re backing Guardiola’s side to reclaim their domestic crown on home soil.

    Verdict: Manchester City win & both teams to score

    Best Odds: 2/1

    Bookmaker: Unibet

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Tom Dunstan


    Formerly of The Independent, Tom has spent the past six years as one of our senior writers and betting experts. Alongside working with numerous publications from across the globe, Tom also graduated from the University of Falmouth in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Digital Media.
    Spending almost the past decade working in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, he has also spent time featuring in sports radio. Tom can be followed on Instagram - @iamtomdunstan

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