Aston Villa host Manchester City in the Premier League in the weekend’s early kick-off this afternoon, 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
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Aston Villa host Man City, with kick-off at 12.30pm | Live on TNT Sports
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Villa lost to Forest last time out and have won just three of their last 10 league games
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City have won just one of their last 11 matches after losing the Manchester derby
Aston Villa FC – Manchester City FC
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.
Prediction
10:05 , Jamie Braidwood
The recent form of both sides makes it especially difficult to predict a result, though you’d expect Guardiola and City to remedy their misfortune sooner rather than later, and a win at Villa Park would be the perfect start.
Aston Villa vs Man City odds
10:03 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa win 9/4
Draw 11/4
Man City win 11/10
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What is the Aston Villa team news?
10:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Ollie Watkins has recovered from a slight knock but Jhon Duran is likely to start ahead of him after impressing during the latter’s absence. Leon Bailey could return to action and Tyrone Mings is available again after missing the match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Jacob Ramsey is still out.
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.
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Good morning
10:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa host Manchester City in the early kick-off in the Premier League this weekend, with both sides looking to finally turn around respective runs of poor form.
Unai Emery’s side sit in a respectable seventh place, two points behind City, but have won just three of their last 10 domestic matches despite better form in the Champions League.
And Pep Guardiola’s men are currently stuck in the middle of one of the stories of the season, with just one win in their last 11 matches after a dramatic collapse in the Manchester derby last weekend.
Nevertheless, despite this unprecedented run of form for the champions, they are still in fifth, just one point off Nottingham Forest in fourth, and a win here would take them to the same points tally as Arsenal – who are in third ahead of their match against Crystal Palace later today.