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Remind me next time

Manchester City are fresh off of an FA Cup semifinal 1-0 loss to Chelsea at the weekend ending their hopes of winning four trophies. Now, the Cityzens will face off with Aston Villa on Wednesday night at Villa Park aiming to take another step closer to the Premier League title.

Pep Guardiola’s team may have qualified for the Champions League semifinals with a win over Borussia Dortmund in last week’s quarterfinal, but their form has dipped. Two of the team’s last five league matches ended in losses. While the Premier League title should be wrapped up, winning the Carabao Cup Final versus Tottenham Hotspur this month and progressing past Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinal could be difficult.

Aston Villa are 11th in the Premier League. They are struggling for form having won just once in their last six games in the league. Ten points separate Aston Villa from the top five. Their hopes of making Europe have nearly evaporated. The Villains overachieved early in the campaign and regressed to the mean midway through the season.

Manchester City have won four straight games against Aston Villa in all competitions since 2019. The Villains were outscored 10 to two over the course of those four games. The reverse fixture between the clubs finished 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium with Bernardo Silva scoring in the 79th minute and Ilkay Gundogan tallying a penalty in the 90th minute. Can Manchester City rebound from back-to-back losses in the league and FA Cup with a victory over Aston Villa?

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Betting Odds

 

Guardiola’s team took 12 points from their last 18 available allowing opponents to score seven times. The Cityzens did score 15 times during those six games. Their once impenetrable defence has allowed teams to score in four of their last six league matches. Despite their form, Manchester City are at odds of 2/5 to win at Villa Park on Wednesday.

Aston Villa are near the bottom of the league’s form table. Dean Smith’s team took five points from the last 18 available. They only scored five times with Ollie Watkins and company struggling to score in recent months. Aston Villa’s defence allowed seven goals to opponents over the same period of six games.

Bookies have Aston Villa at odds of 8/1 to win against Manchester City at home. The 2013-14 season was the last time Aston Villa won at Villa Park against Manchester City in any competition. Aston Villa won their last away match 3-1 against Fulham ending a three-game winless streak at home.

Manchester City have the Premier League’s best away team. They have taken 36 points from 45 available away from the Etihad Stadium. Their last six games on the road ended in wins. Eight points separate Manchester City from Manchester United in the Premier League title race. If the Blues slip up on Wednesday night, then they will have a title race on their hands.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Team News

Aston Villa defensive midfielder Morgan Sansone could miss the fixture due to a knee injury. Sansone is recovering from the knock but may not be fit to play. Striker Wesley is finally nearing a return but could remain out for the rest of the season. He is overcoming a serious knee injury suffered in 2019. He appeared in a recent Aston Villa U-23 game but had to come off.

Key attacking player Trezeguet is unlikely to play against Manchester City. He has a knee injury that will likely keep him on the sidelines. Midfielder Jack Grealish is ruled out as it stands with a shin injury. Grealish has been out since February 21 and has missed eight great league matches. Without the midfielder, Aston Villa have posted a record of 2W-2D-4L.

Guardiola has to deal with a major injury at Manchester City as Kevin De Bruyne went off against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal at the weekend. De Bruyne has an ankle injury and is likely to miss the next two games to prepare for the Champions League semifinals.

The manager was criticised for not playing his strongest side against Chelsea at the weekend. His post-match press conference was bizarre with Guardiola seeming to defend his decision on players. Sergio Aguero will also miss the game.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Prediction

Both teams to score: YES @ 1/1 - BET NOW

 

Two of the last three games between Aston Villa and Manchester City ended with both teams scoring goals. With Manchester City having some defensive issues, they could allow Aston Villa to score goals. Four straight matches in all competitions played by Manchester City saw them concede goals. Aston Villa’s last two league games finished with both teams scoring goals.

Phil Foden to score anytime @ 9/5 - BET NOW

 

Phil Foden has 13 goals in 42 matches this term. Six of those goals have come in 24 league matches. He played all 90 minutes versus Aston Villa earlier this season and likely to be started as Guardiola deploys his best team. Foden was Manchester City’s best player after coming on for De Bruyne against Chelsea on Saturday. He is the future of the team as Manchester City need to begin to replace Aguero and others this summer.

Over 2.5 goals scored @ 8/11 - BET NOW

 

Three of Manchester City’s last four games in all competitions ended with over 2.5 goals scored. The Cityzens have scored goals but allowed them to opponents as well. Three of the last four games between Aston Villa and Manchester City saw more than 2.5 goals scored. The two sides could once again combine for over 2.5 scores. Manchester City do need to win this match. They are eight points ahead of Manchester United and a loss would give the Red Devils hope of a first league trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

On paper, Manchester City should win the match versus Aston Villa on Wednesday night. However, in practice, the Villains could take points off of the Cityzens.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City Betting Tips