Matchday 17 of the Premier League sees Aston Villa hosting Manchester City on December 21 at Villa Park in Birmingham. Aston Villa vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Peter Bankes (England)
Matches – 9 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 35;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 18;
Penalties – 22%.
Predicted lineups for Aston Villa vs. Manchester City
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez – Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara – Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Matty Cash – Jhon Duran.
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson – Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol – Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva – Kevin De Bruyne, Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden – Erling Haaland.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
Aston Villa
The Birmingham side visited Nottingham Forest in the last round and suffered a 1-2 defeat. Despite leading until the 87th minute, Unai Emery's men faltered in the final stretch, conceding two goals. This marked their fourth consecutive away loss in the league. Due to these away setbacks, Aston Villa has slipped to 7th place, although they are only three points behind the top four.
- The team has not won in 6 of their last 8 Premier League matches (2 draws and 4 losses).
- Both teams scored in 9 of Aston Villa's last 12 home Premier League matches.
Manchester City
The Citizens also suffered a 1-2 defeat in their last league match. Playing at home, they lost to local rivals Manchester United. In that derby, Pep Guardiola's side set a negative record – for the first time in Premier League history, the reigning champions lost after leading until the 88th minute. This was their fifth defeat in the last seven league matches (1 win and 1 draw). As a result, Manchester City has fallen out of the top four, but they are only one point away from the Champions League spots.
- In 6 of their last 7 Premier League matches, the Citizens have conceded at least two goals.
- Three or more goals have been scored in 6 of Manchester City's last 7 league games.
- Both teams scored in 6 of Manchester City's last 7 away Premier League matches.
Aston Villa vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
While Manchester City is in a deep crisis, all league teams are trying to perform as well as possible against Pep Guardiola's men. In their last 11 official matches, Manchester City has managed only one win, with two draws and eight losses. This is unprecedented in the era of the Spanish coach, and it seems Birmingham has an excellent chance to at least avoid defeat in this match. Moreover, the Citizens have not won away in the Premier League in four consecutive matches (1 draw and 3 losses).
Aston Villa struggles with away games, but at home, they remain a formidable force. In their last 13 home Premier League matches, they have only lost to Arsenal, securing 6 wins and 6 draws. Additionally, in the last two league seasons, Birmingham has not lost to the Citizens at Villa Park (a 1-0 win and a 1-1 draw). My prediction: Aston Villa to win or draw
