Aston Villa will be looking to create an upset when they lock horns with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Citizens are enduring a turbulent week off the field, with the club being charged with over 100 breaches of financial rules.
They have denied the allegations but will also fight their case in court, hiring one of the top lawyers in David Pannick in top Man City news.
Pep Guardiola’s side will enter the home clash on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs got the breakthrough early with Harry Kane scoring a record-breaking 267th goal for the Londoners.
The home side frustrated City attackers and held out for a superb 1-0 success.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa suffered a 4-2 thrashing at the hands of Leicester City last weekend.
Unai Emery’s side twice led the game but were pegged back each time by the visitors. Then, Tete scored another goal in first-half injury time before Dennis Praet added a late third to secure an emphatic victory.
Match Preview
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s side haven’t been very convincing this season. Sunday’s setback at Tottenham was their fourth defeat of the season, while they lost only three games in the top-flight in their entire last campaign.
However, City boast an impressive record against Villa, winning five of their previous six meetings with the Midlands outfit. The Citizens have also won their last seven home matches against Villa in all competitions.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has brilliantly managed to unlock the potential of his squad following his arrival at the club in October. The Lions’ excellent run has seen them climb to 11th in the league standings with 28 points.
The Midlands side also boast a three-game winning run in the Premier League away matches. But they have kept only one clean sheet in their previous five matches in all competitions.
Aston Villa fixtures show they face a tough February as they will host Arsenal following their clash against City.
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Potential line-ups
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake; Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Kamara, Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia, Watkins, Bailey
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Prediction
City boast one of the best squads in the world. They have Erling Haaland who has already scored 25 goals in 20 Premier League matches, including an incredible four hat-tricks.
The Citizens shouldn’t have much trouble in breaching the defences of their opposition on Sunday. Villa’s attacking potential suggests they will also be able to score a goal but victory or even a draw is unlikely for them.
Manchester City 3-1 Aston Villa
