Manchester City vs Aston Villa predictions: Villa poised to give champions a fright

- Manchester City last lost a Premier League home game in November 2022
- Villa are chasing their first top-four finish since 1995-96
- Recommended bet: Tie or Aston Villa Double Chance

Back-to-back draws against Liverpool and Arsenal have not helped Manchester City's title defence and a visit from fourth-placed Aston Villa promises to make for another testing outing for Pep Guardiola's champions.

City are a short price to see off Villa, but Unai Emery's men are massive improvers and could make life difficult for City as they seek to secure a return to Champions League football for the first time in four decades.

Team news

John Stones is expected to come back in, though there is a doubt over keeper Ederson. Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake are likely to miss out.

Villa are still missing John McGinn, who sits out the final game of a three-match ban.

Jhon Duran is standing by to lead the line if Ollie Watkins' hamstring strain prevents him from playing.

The stats

Man City are unbeaten at home in the league this season with 10 wins and five draws from their 15 matches.

They have avoided defeat in 23 matches in all competitions since suffering a 1-0 loss at Villa Park in early December.

They are unbeaten in their last 39 home matches since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in November 2022, though they have drawn five of their last 10 at home in the Premier League.

Villa are unbeaten in their last eight away games with five clean sheets.

Prediction

City boast a stranglehold over Villa at the Etihad having beaten the Midlands club on each of their last 13 visits in the Premier League.

On the flip side, the Villans defeated City at their ground in December, 1-0 thanks to a Leon Bailey goal, and Emery's team are unrecognisable from previous Villa sides.

On the back of a pair of draws against Liverpool and Arsenal in which the pair were well worth their points, Villa should not be fearful of heading into the champions' lair and are quite capable of getting something off them once again.

Their Premier League rivals are closing the gap on City in recent campaigns and Villa, unbeaten away in 2024, are one of those sides who are getting closer under the admirable Emery.

The pattern of the match should be predictable, with City trying to pass their way in and Villa hoping for scraps on the counter, and the fact that Villa have won only one game less than the champions this season shows you there is far less between them than the match prices might imply.

City have not won half of their last 10 home league games and are way too short. 

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