Game Week 15 Predictions: City to beat Villa

Manchester City aims to bounce back against Aston Villa after recent slip-ups.

Manchester City has drawn three games on the bounce, can they halt the winless run when they travel to Villa Park? (Photo credit: GOAL)

 Aston Villa vs. Manchester City

Villa Park

9:15pm

Manchester City didn’t last long at the top of the log, but that will not deceive anyone; they’re better off chasing than being hunted.

The champions led twice against Tottenham and ended up surrendering their lead. That’s the third time in a row that they would end up dropping points from winning positions, leaving them six points off the top of the log.

Aston Villa is in a very good place. Unai Emery has managed to steady the ship, and the fans are happy once again after the depressing state of things under Steven Gerrard before the Spaniard took over the reins just over a year ago.

Aston Villa had won four games on the bounce in all competitions before travelling to the Vitality Stadium to play Bournemouth. The Cherries led, but were pegged back by a Leon Bailey strike before Dominic Solanke scored again. It took a spirited fight for Ollie Watkins to fire home the leveller.

The champions will be without Rodri and Jack Grealish. Both players were booked in the sensational 3-3 draw at the Etihad against Spurs. The last time City didn’t have Rodri to call on in the league, they lost three domestic games on the bounce.

Aston Villa can profit from Manchester City’s high-line defense. The champions will go all out; three straight draws will trouble anyone; and losing leads in back-to-back games is also unacceptable. Expect the champions to expose their defence in search of goals.

Boubacar Kamara is back from suspension; he will be in the middle of the park alongside Douglas Luiz. The latter must be careful; however, he is at risk of suspension and could miss the game against Arsenal if he picks a yellow. Lucas Digne and Matty Cash are both in the same boat.

John Stones is back, but he has yet to feature since his return from injury. Jeremy Doku limped off against Tottenham; Pep Guardiola was coy on his fitness at his presser; with Grealish unavailable, Bernardo Silva could be deployed upfield.

Both sides will attack empty spaces; it will be a tactical masterclass. Expect some high-level tinkering, a little bit of chaos, and a hell of fun for the neutrals. A win could take Villa up to second, depending on what happens in the surrounding games.

Verdict: Manchester City to win.