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The Premier League returns to the fold with another round of matches this weekend as Aston Villa lock horns with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Preview
Aston Villa are currently in 11th place in the Premier League standings and have improved under Unai Emery this season. The away side suffered a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Leicester City last week and will need to bounce back in this fixture.
Manchester City, on the other hand, are in second place in the league table at the moment and have not been at their best this season. The Cityzens slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in their previous game and will need to step up to the plate this weekend.
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Manchester City have a good historical record against Aston Villa and have won 79 out of the 178 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Aston Villa's 57 victories.
- Manchester City have won their last 12 matches against Aston Villa in the Premier League and defeated them by a 3-2 margin on the final day of the campaign last season.
- Aston Villa held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture and will look to go unbeaten against the Cityzens in a single Premier League campaign for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
- Aston Villa have won only one of their last 29 away games against reigning champions in the Premier League, with their only such victory coming against Manchester United in 2009.
- Manchester City have lost four matches in the Premier League this season - more defeats than they suffered in the entirety of their 2021-22 campaign.
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Prediction
Manchester City have flattered to deceive so far this season and were uninspiring at best against Tottenham Hotspur. Kevin De Bruyne was benched against the North London side and will look to make his mark in this fixture.
Aston Villa have a good squad at their disposal and are capable of pulling off an upset on their day. Manchester City are the better team on paper, however, and should be able to win this game.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Aston Villa
Manchester City vs Aston Villa Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Manchester City
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Manchester City to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Erling Haaland to score - Yes
