Aston Villa vs Man City: EPL preview, team news, how to follow, stream | football news
Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Villa Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: Saturday at 12:30 pm (12:30 GMT).
Follow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo build-up and commentary stream.
Manchester City will not try to overcome their current form crisis with new recruits in January, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Four-time defending Premier League champions City have lost eight of their last 11 matches in all competitions and won just one.
Last season’s surprise package Aston Villa now awaits them at Villa Park on Saturday, although both clubs have not performed well this season. However, when Guardiola was asked if the current squad could turn things around, he said that he would not be rebuilding his squad in the January transfer window.
“I don’t know. That will be at the end of the season. At the end of the season, we will see the situation,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “I want my players to come back (from injury). I believe That the team is really good is not that they are good or bad players.
“We lost two important personalities for some time. We want the players back, and then depending on what happens over the winter and at the end of the season, the club and I will decide what is best for the team.
City’s troubled season was dealt another blow this week when it was confirmed that defender Ruben Dias will be out for four weeks with a muscle injury.
Guardiola has cited injuries to key players such as Rodri as a factor in his team’s troubles, and the loss of Dias has further compounded their problems, with the City manager saying Dias’ injury occurred in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United. It happened during the defeat.
“After 75 minutes against United, he felt something. He is strong and wanted to stay on the pitch, but now he is injured,” Guardiola said.
City’s worrying run of form has been snapped by one win from five consecutive defeats and three defeats in six, topped by Manchester United’s derby win at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension in November, admits that running it has become difficult to live togetherEven for a manager of his stature.
“I just finished a game where we were close to winning and lost. I was not happy with the sequence that happened,” said the Spaniard. “I just tried to be honest with myself here six or seven days ago. If you fall six times, you have to stand up seven times.
“I’m fine. I’m a normal person with emotions like all of us. When a situation is going well, we’re better, and when it’s not going well professionally, we’re more on it.” Let’s focus on what we have to do.
Villa finished fourth in the league last season to secure Champions League qualification. This campaign has proved more difficult for Unai Emery’s side.
The Villains are seventh in the table but victory on Saturday will take them above City into fifth and potentially fourth if they win by three clear goals.
That spot could have been claimed in their last match on Monday, but with a defeat at Nottingham Forest, who themselves claimed the prized fourth Champions League qualifying spot.
It came after a three-game winning streak in which Villa began to recreate their form of last season, and Emery remains in upbeat spirits despite the difficult task of facing the injured champions.
“Of course, it is a very difficult and exciting match for us,” said the former Arsenal manager. “The motivation of playing Manchester City at home for our supporters is going to be great.
“We are going to face everything with our support at Villa Park. My assessment will now continue. We’re trying to get better in the league and definitely embracing what we’re doing, always trying to improve.
“(City) is a very good test, and there is another competition coming, the Champions League, the FA Cup. For me the evaluation now is to think only about this match.”
Who are the big winners of Matchweek 16? pic.twitter.com/EUJZMZfpLm
– Premier League (@premierleague) 17 December 2024
aston villa team news
Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey are both in the squad to face City. According to Emery, Jacob Ramsey is “making good progress but is not ready to be available yet”.
man city team news
Dias has joined City’s injury list with a muscle problem. Midfielder Rodri has been absent for a long time while goalkeeper Ederson is also doubtful.
John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji could all return while Rico Lewis is back from suspension.
head to head
This is the 182nd meeting between the clubs, with City winning 81 meetings and Villa claiming the spoils on 58 occasions.
City won the last encounter 4–1 at the Etihad Stadium in April, but Villa were 1–0 winners in the same match at Villa Park in December last year, with Leon Bailly scoring the only goal with 16 minutes played .
Villa had not previously won in 15 meetings with City – of which the Citizens had won 13.
