Aston Villa will be looking for their fourth straight win in the league when they host Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have finally returned to their best, having recorded three straight wins after being winless in their first five outings; now, they are gearing up to face Manchester City, who are second on the points table and are looking to stay within touching distance of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Three straight wins in the Premier League have helped Aston Villa climb up to 11th on the table with 12 points in their eight outings. However, their run of five wins in a row in all competitions ended against Go Ahead Eagles last time out.

The Villans suffered a 2-1 defeat in the UEFA Europa League, and they will be looking to return to winning ways against Manchester City. Going up against Pep Guardiola’s team won’t be easy. But a win here could be a massive boost for their squad.

Manchester City are second on the table with 16 points in their eight outings heading into Gameweek 9. They are also heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins in the league. They are three points behind Arsenal and would not want to drop any more points at this stage.

The visitors secured a 2-0 win over Villarreal in their last outing in the UEFA Champions League. It was a dominant display from Guardiola’s men, and they will be looking to put up a similar display against Aston Villa. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Aston Villa do have a boost heading into this fixture, as Lucas Digne is back in the mix after missing their last outing. However, Unai Emery remains without the services of Youri Tielemans and Andres Garcia. The Aston Villa will look to recall all his star players for this fixture against Manchester City after having suffered a defeat in Europe last time out.

The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Emiliano Martinez will take charge in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne should be the full-backs, while Ezri Konsa will pair up with Pau Torres in the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara will form the double pivot. Aston Villa’s central midfield duo will look to shield the backline and ensure Manchester City midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.

Donyell Malen and John McGinn will feature on the flanks, while Morgan Rogers should take up the number ten role. Ollie Watkins will continue to lead the line for Aston Villa against Manchester City this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Malen, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins

Manchester City

Nico Gonzalez picked up an injury last time out, but Pep Guardiola seems hopeful that he will be available for this fixture. Meanwhile, they remain without the services of Rodri and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Manchester City will line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will take charge in goal. Matheus Nunes and Josko Gvardiol should feature as the full-backs, with John Stones pairing up with Ruben Dias in the heart of the defence.

Nico Gonzalez will be the holding midfielder in front of them. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden will feature as the two central midfielders, while Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku will take charge on the flanks. Finally, Erling Haaland will spearhead the Manchester City attack against Aston Villa.

Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez; Cherki, Foden, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland

Key Stats

• Erling Haaland will look to become the second City player (Sergio Aguero) to score in a sixth successive Premier League away game.
• Manchester City have won five out of their last six outings across competitions. They are unbeaten in nine games across competitions.
• Both Aston Villa and Manchester City have won three straight games in the Premier League.
• Erling Haaland has scored in nine straight games across competitions.
• Manchester City have 39 points since April, which is more than any other team in the Premier League.

Player to Watch

Rayan Cherki

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Cherki has not had the kind of start to life at Manchester City he would have hoped for. While the French playmaker started in fine fashion, a thigh injury kept him on the sidelines for weeks. However, he is back fit and will now look to cement his spot in Guardiola’s starting XI.

So far, the former Lyon talisman has been involved in just four matches, racking up 80 minutes and bagging a goal. The 22-year-old is an exceptional talent, and he will certainly be eager to make an impact against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Prediction

Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester City

Aston Villa have looked like a rejuvenated side in recent weeks, and with the home crowd behind them, they will certainly fancy their chances against Manchester City. Unai Emery’s men have been impressive going forward, and with Ollie Watkins in fine form, they are capable of troubling any defence.

However, Aston Villa’s inconsistency at the back could once again prove costly, especially against a side with Manchester City’s attacking quality. Pep Guardiola’s team, meanwhile, are brimming with confidence following a string of dominant displays.

With Erling Haaland firing on all cylinders and Phil Foden pulling the strings in midfield, City should have enough firepower to edge past a spirited Aston Villa side. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 3-2 win for the visitors.