Premier League | Gameweek 17

Dec 21, 2024 at 12.30pm UK

Villa Park

Aston Villavs.Man City

Match preview

Having started the day level on points with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Aston Villa were on course to leapfrog their Midlands rivals and move into the top four with just minutes remaining at the City Ground.

However, two quick Forest strikes cancelled out Jhon Duran's opener and Emi Martinez's wonder save as the Villans saw victory slip away.

Unai Emery's men had bounced back with three successive wins - over Brentford and Southampton, then RB Leipzig in the Champions League - but this setback means they have now lost four of their last seven league games.

After a ground-breaking 2023-24 campaign, fighting on two fronts has proved a stern test of the depth of the squad, and the Birmingham club have also suffered four successive top-flight defeats away from home.

However, they are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games at Villa Park and currently sit seventh in the table, with a home win this weekend allowing them to leapfrog Manchester City.

On their way to upsetting the established order by finishing fourth, Villa set the tone by beating City 1-0 at Aston this time last year, and will now be looking to do so in successive seasons for the first time since 1993.

Like their hosts, Man City came unstuck in the closing stages of their last outing, and perhaps even more spectacularly, having squandered a one-goal lead in the dying embers of last week's local derby.

Even more costly errors allowed Manchester United to escape the Etihad with maximum points, as Amad Diallo's 90th-minute winner condemned Pep Guardiola's men to an agonising 2-1 defeat - eight of their last 11.

In a further sign of their frailty, City have now lost two of their last three Premier League games in which they were in the lead at half-time - the same number as in the previous 102 games - and the trend has carried over to Europe, where they trail Villa by five points in the Champions League standings.

Concerns over an ageing midfield and an injury-riddled defence have been compounded by a wastefulness that has seen them take more shots on target than any other side in the English top flight this season, but convert just 9.9% of them - their lowest rate since the 2006-07 campaign.

Last season's star man, Phil Foden, has missed more shots than any other player in the Premier League this term, while makeshift left-back Josko Gvardiol is the club's second-highest goalscorer behind Erling Haaland, who has also been below his best.

That leaves City in fifth place, nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool with a game in hand, and with little room for error if they are to make their trademark surge and return to the title race.

Recent Performance

Aston Villa Premier League form:LDLWWL

Aston Villa form (all competitions):DLWWWL

Manchester City Premier League form:LLLWDL

Manchester City form (all competitions):DLWDLL

Team News

Jhon Duran has impressed in place of Ollie Watkins, who has been sidelined with a minor injury, and will be hoping to retain his place at the heart of Aston Villa's attack on Saturday.

Watkins is the hosts' top scorer with seven league goals, but Duran took his tally to six in the win over Nottingham Forest and Unai Emery has been reluctant to play them together.

Leon Bailey could be back in contention after recovering from a hamstring problem, and Tyrone Mings is available after pulling out shortly before kick-off at City through illness, but Jacob Ramsey remains sidelined.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's injury list has slimmed down over the past fortnight, with Mateo Kovacic and John Stones back on the bench after last week's derby debacle.

Long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb have been joined in the treatment room by Nathan Ake, but Manuel Akanji could overcome a pelvic problem in time to feature, while versatile full-back Rico Lewis returns from suspension.

Jack Grealish will return to his boyhood club in the hope of selection, but Belgian winger Jeremy Doku is currently ahead of him in Pep Guardiola's pecking order.

Possible starting lineup

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Cash, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis; Kovacic; Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku; Haaland