Premier League: Villa Park Welcomes an Old Friend

Aston Villa vs Manchester City

Villa Park seems to have a different vibe despite the changes that have happened in these past few months. Despite being only at 13^th in the Premier League standings with 16 points, a sense of optimism is evident among the Villans.

It can be remembered that when former captain Jack Grealish left for Manchester City last summer, Aston Villa fans were disheartened following the said piece of Premier League 2021 news.

The Villans naturally stumbled upon Grealish’s departure. But following Steven Gerrard’s arrival, it feels like Aston Villa may be on to something as they’ve built some momentum.

Gerrard, who knows a thing or two about guiding a club to greater heights albeit this time in a managerial capacity, will certainly have his work cut out for him when his team hosts Manchester City this Wednesday.

This fixture against Manchester City is considered as a measuring-stick game for Aston Villa since the visitors have been banging in form.

Pep Guardiola’s side is at second with 29 points. And with the top spot within their reach, we expect them to go full throttle in this encounter.

Talking Points

Steven Gerrard leading Aston Villa in the right direction

The Steven Gerrard era for Aston Villa is off to a fantastic start and they have an opportunity to take a top-half spot if results go their way this week.

The Villans are winners of two straight games against Brighton and Crystal Palace, and they’re in a much better place than they were not too long ago when they were nearing the drop zone.

Ollie Watkins, Tyrone Mings, John McGinn, and Matt Targett provided the goals during their win streak and they’re all expected to feature in this high-profile showdown.

They’ll be joined by their top scorers in Anwar El Ghazi and Danny Ings up front, while Douglas Luiz is going to play a key role in the midfield.

Emiliano Martinez should maintain his spot between the posts, while rounding out the starting XI could be Jacob Ramsey, Ezri Konsa, and Matty Cash.

Manchester City closing in at the top spot

The Sky Blues also have a great chance to move up at the Premier League table if things go their way in this contest, and they have their neighbours to thank for that.

Chelsea were tipped to take all three points against a vulnerable Manchester United squad to widen the gap, but the Red Devils somehow managed to hold them to a 1-1 stalemate.

It also helps that Manchester City took care of their own business by defeating West Ham United 2-1 despite the Arctic conditions as Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho had one goal each while Manuel Lanzini scored an inconsequential consolation goal.

So that means that City are only trailing by a point to league leaders Chelsea, although the latter has a winnable game against Watford.

It would certainly be interesting to see whether Jack Grealish is going to get a warm reception from the Villa crowd or not, but the winger is considered questionable due to an injury.

Skipper Kevin De Bruyne isn’t expected to play since he’s still recovering from COVID-19 while Phil Foden might return to action after missing their Champions League game against PSG.

History

Manchester City aim to assert their dominance over Aston Villa. Prior to this Wednesday’s fixture, the Sky Blues have won 12 of their last 14 Premier League meetings against their hosts while scoring 39 goals in that span.

The Sky Blues’ previous defeat at Villa Park dates back to September 2013 where Aston Villa came away with a 3-2 victory.

The last meeting between Aston Villa and Manchester City took place in April which ended 2-1 in favour of the Sky Blues.

After a shocking first-minute goal from John McGinn to give the Villans the lead, City bounced back through goals from Phil Foden and Rodri before the half-time break.

Betting Tip

	Aston Villa vs Manchester City	Manchester City Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 1.78
	December 2, 4:15 AM (GMT+8)

The SBOTOP Premier League 2021 odds paint the picture that this game is going to be a classic David vs. Goliath matchup.

Manchester City are the favourites at 1.34, while Aston Villa are pegged at 7.80 to win and chances for a draw are at 5.20 in the 1X2 market.

The Sky Blues have been utterly dominant against the Villans in recent occasions, but this is not going to be a cakewalk for Pep Guardiola’s men at all. The visitors may be missing several key players for this fixture. However, they should still have enough to take all three points given their depth.

 

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