Man City vs Aston Villa Preview and Betting Tip

Pep Guardiola and Man City will be looking to capitalise on last weekend’s draw between Liverpool and Man Utd when they play Aston Villa at The Etihad on Wednesday evening. Man City vs Aston Villa kicks off at 6pm and you can watch the game live on BT Sports. Villa, who are 12/1 outsiders, will be playing their first match since a Covid outbreak in their squad. City, priced up at 3/11, will be looking to maintain their excellent recent winning run and overtake Man Utd  and Leicester at the top of the table.

City Clicking Into Gear

All the talk in recent weeks has been about Man Utd challenging Liverpool for the title. However, Man City have quietly gone about their business in the last couple of months. Now, they are moving ominously close to the top. A win against Villa would send them to the summit by a point, though it may be a short stay with United playing Fulham later on Wednesday night.

Dias and Stones, who scored a brace on Sunday, have forged a rock solid partnership at the heart of City’s defence. Joao Cancelo has settled in well and Kyle Walker has improved on the other flank. This is the defensive foundation upon which City’s excellent recent form has been built and they have conceded just 2 goals in their last 9 Premier League fixtures.

The goals are not flowing as freely as they have in recent years for City. They are  gradually improving in that department though and they have notched 8 goals in their last 3 games. Ilkay Gundogan has contributed 3 goals in the last 4 matches and he has become a potent threat from midfield.

Sterling tops the scoring charts for City with 5 and once Aguero is back fit it will give them even more options in attack. With Kevin De Bruyne providing the service it is unsurprising to see The Citizens as short as 1.5 now with some firms to reclaim their Premier League crown from Liverpool.

Covid Concern For Villains

Villa, who just about escaped the drop last season, look a different team this term. They had amassed 26 points before they were hit by Covid and if they win their three games in hand they will be level on points with City.

Dean Smith’s side has made serious progress and it is down to two things: great recruitment in the summer and the form of Jack Grealish. The arrivals of Barkley (2 goals 1 assist), Traore (3 goals, 2 assists) and Watkins (6 goals 2 assists) have made them a far more dangerous side in attack and Mings and Konsa have excelled in defence.

However, Jack Grealish is without a doubt the man who makes this team tick. His extra-curricular activities during the first lockdown probably put some teams off buying him. Villa took advantage of the situation by extending his contract. That looks a wise move now as his price tag has probably doubled after the first half of this season. He has 5 goals, 7 assists and he will be a genuine contender for the EPL Player of the Season if he continues in the same vein for the rest of the campaign.

The big worry for Villa for this match is the fact that 9 first team players tested positive for Covid. There is no information out there as to the severity of symptoms suffered by each individual. They will need to be in tip-top shape if they are to come out on top in Manchester and it will be a tough task for them.

Form

City come into this fixture as the form team in the Premier League. They have won 5 in a row and they are unbeaten since losing 2-0 at Spurs back in October. Their only other defeat came at home vs Leicester City when they were hammered 5-2. They had Ake and Mendy at centre back that day though. With Stones and Garcia starting at the heart of their defence they are a different proposition.

Villa were on a 5 game unbeaten run before they came unstuck in that 2-1 reversal at Old Trafford on New Year’s Day. This will be their first EPL game since that defeat and it remains to be seen what toll Covid has taken on their physical condition. They have 5 wins, a draw and 2 losses from 8 away games so far this season, not a bad record at all.

Man City vs Aston Villa: Last 5 EPL Matches

Looking at the form table it is hard to see past Man City for this. Villa will draw hope from the superb performance by Fulham at Spurs on their return from a Covid outbreak and also from the battling display by Brighton at the Etihad last week. The Seagulls could easily have taken something from that match. Villa will be hoping they can do even better and come away with a point.

City To Keep Good Run Going

Taking everything into consideration, City look near nailed on to win this. However, there is not much value in backing them at long odds on. At odds against, Man City to win to nil could be the way to go. City have kept 5 clean sheets in their last 6 home Premier League games and while you would expect Villa to nick a goal in normal circumstances, this looks a really tough assignment for them on their first match back after their Covid problems. At odds of 23/20, Manchester City to win to nil is the recommended bet.

Man City vs Aston Villa Tip: Man City to win to nil @ 23/20 BetVictor

Key Quotes

Pep Guardiola: “We have been really good, apart from the Leicester game, in conceding few chances and this season we don’t make the mistakes that we did to give opponents easy goals.”

Dean Smith: “I’m not going to make any excuses, the players are ready to play. We are looking forward to this game and we don’t feel that we are handicapped.”

Dave Stevos