Erling Haaland had a quiet day against Arsenal, his manager is backing him to go all out against Aston Villa, how will this play out? (Photo credit: GOAL)
Manchester City vs. Aston VillaEtihad Stadium20:15hrs
| Erling Haaland had a quiet day against Arsenal, his manager is backing him to go all out against Aston Villa, how will this play out? (Photo credit: GOAL) |
Manchester City failed to score at the Etihad for the first time since 2021 on Sunday as Arsenal held them to a goalless draw. Could Aston Villa be in danger of being destroyed?
Manchester City had only one shot on target against the Gunners, the same as they managed in the reverse fixture where they lost to Arsenal. They have a few injury concerns, but they should have more than enough to prosecute the visit of Aston Villa.
Unai Emery confirmed on Monday that Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins will not be available to face the champions as both are down with injuries; Moussa Diaby, John Duran, and Leon Bailey will step up to give the visitors a showing at the Etihad.
Tottenham’s failure to beat West Ham on Tuesday has opened an opportunity for Villa to steer clear of Spurs in the race for the top-four finish. Any game against the champions is as difficult as anything else, but Villa can dream.
Aston Villa beat Manchester City with a disciplined performance in the first leg. The 1-0 win proved a point for the visitors, and they must build on that when they face the champions on Wednesday. Can Villa do it again?
How will Manchester City line up? Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker are ruled out, but John Stones has a huge chance of featuring. Erling Haaland failed to impact that game against Arsenal; you should back him to have a filled day against Villa.
Unai Emery is a proponent of “haram ball” on days he doesn’t want to get beat; he knows how to shut out the opposition by setting up his team to defend deep and hit on the counter. It’s going to be a game of sleek vs. stubborn.
Watch out for the Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva interchange; it didn’t work against Arsenal. Guardiola will tweak things a bit to get a result. Short passes, wide play through Jeremy Doku, and cutbacks could be the way to go. The trio of Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, and Pau Torres must be alert.
A win could send City joint top if Arsenal doesn’t win in the early kickoff; that’s enough incentive for the reigning champions, but a win for Villa means Emery’s side will be five points clear of Tottenham in the race for fourth. We should enjoy this one.
Verdict: Manchester City to win.
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