Aston Villa host Manchester City in the Premier League in the weekend’s early kick-off, with both sides looking to put an end to a poor run of form.
Villa may have improved in Europe recently, but they have just three wins from their last 10 league games, though Unai Emery’s side still sit in a respectable seventh place in the league – and just two points behind today’s opponents.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side remain in an unprecedented run of poor form, with last weekend’s dramatic derby defeat to Manchester United meaning that they have just one win in their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Nevertheless, City remain in fifth place, just one point behind Nottingham Forest in the Champions League places, and a win today would take them level on points with Arsenal in third.
Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:
Aston Villa v Man City LIVE
-
Aston Villa host Man City | Live on TNT Sports
-
Villa lost to Forest last time out and have won just three of their last 10 league games
-
City have won just one of their last 11 matches after losing the Manchester derby
-
16’ GOAL! Stunning Villa move as Jhon Duran fires hosts in front (AVL 1-0 MCI)
-
1’ SAVE! Duran misses chance and then Ortega claws off the line (AVL 0-0 MCI)
-
Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne drop to bench as Jack Grealish starts for City
Aston Villa FC 1 – 0 Manchester City FC
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Man City (DURAN 16’)
12:47 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa lead and it’s Jhon Duran again!
And Man City are behind again! It’s a stunning counter-attack, with one of the passes of the season from Youri Tielemans, who splits the Man City defence wide open from inside his own half.
His through pass releases Morgan Rogers, who is unselfish. He squares to Duran, who continues his hot run of form to bury the chance first time.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:46 , Jamie Braidwood
14 mins: After a frantic start, it’s quitened down a touch. Cash clips Grealish for the second time, with Grealish spinning off the defender on the turn.
Cash is very, very lucky not to be in the book. Both fouls could have been yellow cards. Cash wins the next challenge and is staying touch-tight to his former team-mate.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:43 , Jamie Braidwood
11 mins: Grealish has made a difference for City already and is looking more direct out on the wing. He tees up Kovacic, who cracks a shot straight at Martinez. Easy save.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:41 , Jamie Braidwood
9 mins: A bit better from City, who build some pressure. The big concern is how fragile they look to the counter-attack. Cash gets a ring of cheers as he crunches into Grealish by the touchline.
Lots going on in the penalty area as City get a wide free-kick. The visitors are asking for a penalty as Akanji goes down under some ‘close’ Villa marking. All cleared, though.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:40 , Richard Jolly, at Villa Park
8 mins: An absolutely shambolic start from City, with Josko Gvardiol almost gifting Villa the lead within 15 seconds. City may be glad Ederson is injured, given the two early saves Stefan Ortega has made. Jhon Duran is very lively for Villa. Ominously for City, Villa look quick on the break.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:39 , Jamie Braidwood
6 mins: The goal-line technology was needed, and replays show that Torres’ header was mostly over the line.
But Ortega clawed it out before it could fully cross, so it’s still 0-0.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:37 , Jamie Braidwood
5 mins: The boos turn into jeers as Grealish cuts into the box and shoots wide.
It’s end to end here. McGinn breaks forward down the right and almost slides in Duran.
Akanji slides in to cut it out.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:35 , Jamie Braidwood
3 min: Man City clear the third corner, and breath a sigh of relief. Duran should have scored and then Ortega made a brilliant stop to deny Torres.
A few boos for Grealish as he gets his first touches on the left wing.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man City
12:33 , Jamie Braidwood
1 mins: SAVE! Huge save from Ortega to keep McGinn’s corner out! It was Torres’ header actually, Ortega clawed it off the line. Then he tips over McGinn’s deep corner.
WHAT A START!
KICK-OFF!
12:32 , Jamie Braidwood
And an early chance for Aston Villa! Incredible. 20 seconds in, Gvardiol slips and Jhon Duran is through!
He takes it so, so early and Ortega saves easily, pushing behind for a corner.
That should be 1-0.
Aston Villa vs Man City: Kick-off next
12:31 , Jamie Braidwood
Where can I watch the match?
The match is being shown on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+.
Aston Villa vs Man City: Kick-off next
12:30 , Jamie Braidwood
‘Crazy Train’ rings out at Villa Park.
It’s been crazy times for Manchester City of late. One win in 11 games.
Can they start to turn it around this afternoon or will Unai Emery increase the misery on the champions?
Kick-off is next.
Aston Villa vs Man City: Last time out at Villa Park
12:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa’s only victory in the past 17 meetings in all competitions was by 1-0 at home in the Premier League on 6 December last year. Unai Emery’s side can earn consecutive home league wins against Manchester City for the first time since 1993.
After defeat at Villa Park last year, Man City didn’t lose again in the Premier League and went on to lift their fourth title in a row under Pep Guardiola. How they could use a run like that now… but it does not look likely on current form.
Eight defeats in City’s past 11 matches in all competitions is as many as they lost in their previous 106 fixtures, and they are winless in seven successive away games in all competitions for the first time since a run of 10 from January to April 2011 under Roberto Mancini.
The champions have earned just four points from their past seven Premier League fixtures, a joint-low alongside Southampton.
Out of form Walker and De Bruyne dropped by Guardiola
12:23 , Richard Jolly
A side with six defeats in 11 against a team with eight. It is the derby of the out of form, with two Spanish managers looking for a winning formula. Pep Guardiola has dropped Kyle Walker and Kevin de Bruyne and selected the fit-again John Stones. Unai Emery has preferred Jhon Duran to Ollie Watkins.
Villa Park return is painful reminder that Jack Grealish is wasting his talent at Man City
12:20 , Richard Jolly
Jack Grealish has been at City since August 2021. He has only played particularly well for one of those seasons, 2022-23. Last year, he found form for a month, from the end of December, and around 10 days in spring. His form otherwise explained his omission from England’s Euro 2024 squad. He may have been luckless with ill-timed injuries this season and the statistics again show City lose a lower percentage of games he starts, but his recent achievements end there.
And the glimpse of his beloved ground may remind Grealish, the great-grandson of a 1905 Villa FA Cup winner and the Brummie who captained them to promotion, of what he is missing out on. Sold long before Unai Emery was appointed, Grealish was not to know what would happen in his absence, but the thought must have crossed his mind that he could have still been there, skippering them in their Champions League win over Bayern Munich.
Villa Park return is painful reminder that Jack Grealish is wasted at Man City
Manchester City’s run of results, eight losses in 11 games
12:10 , Jamie Braidwood
L 1-2 vs Tottenham (A) – Carabao Cup
L 1-2 vs Bournemouth (A) – Premier League
L 1-4 vs Sporting (A) – Champions League
L 1-2 vs Brighton (A) – Premier League
L 0-4 vs Tottenham (H) – Premier League
D 3-3 vs Feyenoord (H) – Champions League
L 0-2 vs Liverpool (A) – Premier League
W 3-0 vs Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League
D 2-2 vs Crystal Palace (A) – Premier League
L 0-2 vs Juventus (A) – Champions League
L 1-2 vs Manchester United (H) – Premier League
Pep Guardiola on dropping Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne
12:05 , Jamie Braidwood
Pep Guardiola, speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Man City’s test against Aston Villa.
On the return of John Stones and Manuel Akanji, who start:
“They train two, three times. Important players for us.”
On Ederson, who is not in the City squad:
“He’s not here. He doesn’t feel good.”
On Walker and De Bruyne, who have both dropped to the bench:
“The way we want to play, I decide this line-up. As simple as that.”
Erling Haaland will score if Man City ‘play better’ – Pep Guardiola
12:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland, who has scored just once in five appearances.
“I prefer to play with Erling,” said Guardiola. “I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play – absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.
“Always I play false nines for the quality specifically of the players I have in that moment.
“In some games playing man to man, I love to play against false nines but I have an Erling, I have to adapt.
“I see him well, I see him fine. The reason why maybe he’s not so productive in this situation is for the way we are playing, that we don’t produce the amount of chances that we were able to do in the past.
“When he’s surrounded by two or three or four central defenders it’s not easy for him. We have to play better, to create the spaces for him.”
Unai Emery on Man City and Pep Guardiola: ‘He’s the best’
11:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Unai Emery insists Pep Guardiola is “the best” coach as Aston Villa seek to pile further misery on Manchester City.
City have lost eight of their last 11 games in all competitions, winning just once in that sequence, and fallen nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Premier League champions have also played a game more than Arne Slot’s table toppers and face a tough weekend assignment with a Saturday lunchtime date at Villa Park.
But Villa boss Emery has no doubt over what he is coming up against, saying of his fellow Spaniard Guardiola: “He’s the best. I’m a little bit surprised (about Manchester City’s form), but it’s football.
“It’s a very tough match and an exciting match for us. We’re respecting them a lot.”
Pep Guardiola on Man City transfer decisions
11:30 , Jamie Braidwood
Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City may look to do business in the January transfer window – something that he has rarely done while in charge of the champions.
But City are struggling and have a long injury list, although Guardiola has said that any new recruits will not be stop-gap signings.
“We’ve spoken about doing something. If it’s in winter it’s if we really we need it or if we can really find something – (but) not for just four or five months.
“We’ll see. I don’t know how many times in the last years we’ve gone into the winter (market) – maybe just Aymeric Laporte seven years ago.
“We’re not a big fan of that but the circumstances of this season have been special. We have to see if something is possible and if not we will wait until the summer time.
“In the winter it is more difficult to do. Teams don’t want to sell and they are so expensive.”
Aston Villa vs Man City team news and line-ups
11:22 , Jamie Braidwood
So Jack Grealish starts on his return to Villa Park. Mateo Kovacic also returns for the visitors, as does John Stones. There’s no Ederson in Man City’s squad, with Stefan Ortega starting in goal. Kyle Walker is fit but drops to the bench.
Jhon Duran starts ahead of Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa and Boubacar Kamara partners Amadou Onana in midfield, with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans either side. Morgan Rogers starts against his former club.
Aston Villa vs Man City team news and line-ups
11:19 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash; Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Tielemans, McGinn; Rogers, Duran.
Subs: Olsen, Mings, Barkley, Buendia, Watkins, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.
Man City XI: Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Grealish
Subs: Carson, Walker, Ake, Doku, De Bruyne, Savio, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Aston Villa vs Man City team news and line-ups
11:16 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa:
Man City:
Villa Park return is painful reminder that Jack Grealish is wasting his talent at Man City
10:10 , Richard Jolly
Txiki Begiristain was looking forward to being entertained. Manchester City, often dubbed big spenders, had spent more than any other English club previously had on one player. They had made Jack Grealish the £100m man. Their director of football called his costliest recruit “one of the most exciting attacking players in world football”.
Three-and-a-half years later, Grealish returns to Aston Villa on Saturday as, arguably, neither an attacking player nor an exciting one. Instead, a maverick has been reinvented as a curiosity, a Pep Guardiola project who now does far fewer of the things often associated with excitement – score goals, make them, run at defenders – than he used to. There are those at Villa Park who will recognise a local accent and see a familiar face. But the player they might see is rather different.
A more successful one, Guardiola may argue, an individualist who became part of a champion team. Grealish may have sacrificed some of the flair, but he got silverware in return. In the glow of the treble, it seemed a fine trade-off. Now? Perhaps not.
What is the Man City team news?
10:03 , Jamie Braidwood
For Man City, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones returned to the bench for last week’s Manchester derby and are one step closer to being match fit.
Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake join Rodri and Oscar Bobb as a long-term absentee but Manuel Akanji could feature after recovering from a pelvis issue. Goalkeeper Ederson is a doubt.
Former Villa captain Jack Grealish is pushing for a start but will have to displace Jeremy Doku on the left wing and is more likely to take up a spot on the bench.
When is Aston Villa vs Man City?
10:01 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa vs Man City is due to kick off at 12.30pm GMT on Saturday, 21 December at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Where can I watch the match?
The match will be shown on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am. Subscribers will also be able to live stream via the discovery+ app.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Read the full article here
