Aston Villa v Manchester City - Premier League Matchday 22: Preview, Team News and Prediction

Competition/Round: 2019/20 English Premier League Season – Matchday 22

Date/Time: Aston Villa v Manchester City – Sunday 12^th

January 2020, 16:30(UK); 11:30 EST, 8:30 PST (USA)

Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, England, UK

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Assistants: Harry Lennard, Eddie Smart

Fourth

official: David Coote

VAR: Graham Scott

Assistant

VAR: Adam Nunn

TV Info: Sky Sports Main Event (UK), NBC Sports

Network (USA), DAZN (Canada)

Live

Stream: NBC Sports,

DAZN, (login required)

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Radio: BBC Five Live, BBC Radio Manchester (UK);

TalkSport Radio World, Sirius XM FC (USA)

Match Preview

Manchester City face off against Aston Villa on the back of beating neighbours and rivals Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford. The blues played a strong team against the reds and were just too strong for the Old Trafford outfit, and if they make it to the final, City could find themselves facing Sunday’s opposition Villa at Wembley in February.

Villa take Leicester back to Villa Park on level terms after securing a 1-1 draw with their Midlands rivals and will be confident of getting past the Foxes and setting up a Wembley date.

It’s a different story in the Premier League, While City are looking for the three points to keep the pressure on Liverpool, Villa will be desperate for the win to keep them above the relegation zone. The Birmingham outfit have won just four games at home this season and have also lost the same amount, scoring 13 and conceding 14 in the process.

By comparison, City have won six and drawn three away from home and are currently joint top Premier League scorers on the road with 27, however the blues have conceded 14 on the road, which is one of the highest in the top half of the table.

City have won eight of the last nine fixtures in all competitions, with the only blemish coming at the home of Wolves over the Christmas period. Over the same period, Villa have won just three of their last nine fixtures, losing five, including a 4-1 hammering at home to Leicester and a shock FA Cup defeat at Fulham. The blues have also not lost at Villa Park since September 2013 and beat Villa 3-0 in October’s match in Manchester

Team News

Villa may be without Jonathan Kodjia due to illness, but Matt Targett is available again after a hamstring injury. Loanee Danny Drinkwater could make his debut against the blues.

City goalkeeper Ederson is likely to make his first appearance of 2020 after being sent off in that defeat at Wolves and missing the Everton match through illness. Leroy Sane is still out injured, as is Aymeric Laporte, but the latter will return to full training next week.

Prediction

It may be biased, but I can’t see anything other than a City win. The blues enjoy their trips to Villa Park and have a good recent record their and I think it will continue on Sunday.

Villa 0-3 City