Manchester City are on the road again this Sunday afternoon as they bid to make it 10 matches unbeaten in all competitions through their trip away to Aston Villa.
Last time out, Pep Guardiola’s side got back to winning ways on the continental stage with a 0-2 victory over Villarreal CF in the UEFA Champions League’s league phase in a fairly dominant display as the hosts barely laid a glove on the visitors in the first-half in particular.
City nullified their opposition completely with Villarreal happy to sit back and let their visitors have the lion’s share of possession, eventually leading to their demise after a darting run by Rico Lewis and a fizzed cross was hammered home by Erling Haaland.
Just before the interval, City doubled their lead after a cross from Savinho was met with a delicate header by club captain Bernardo Silva, leaving Luiz Junior in Villarreal’s goal powerless, capping off a perfect half of football by all accounts.
Villarreal came out much stronger in the second-half and certainly had the bit between their teeth, creating many chances – several of which fell to former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe. But the Yellow Submarine failed to convert, and City saw out a 0-2 victory on the road.
The only stain on an otherwise perfect performance was an unfortunate injury to Nico, forcing off the Spaniard in the 57th minute as City lost another defensive midfielder to the medical room.
Attention now turns back to domestic action as Manchester City travel to Birmingham in a tough away trip to Villa Park with Unai Emery and Aston Villa on the other side of Sunday’s ticket.
“I know all the pundits, all the specialists, and former players; they know everything that is going to happen after five games – I’m not able to do that. Always I wait for 10, 15 games to know exactly what is going on.
“But I think obviously Liverpool and Arsenal are there, someone else will be there, and hopefully we can be there.”
On Unai Emery: “The admiration I have for Unai [Emery] is so high; he is incredibly consistent, well-prepared, and so smart. He’s really good.”
Head-to-Head
In the last fixture between these two sides, Manchester City emerged 2-1 victors at the Etihad Stadium after Bernardo Silva gave the home side the lead early on with a tame shot beating Emiliano Martinez and some poor goalkeeping by the Argentine’s standard.
Ruben Dias then proceeded to foul Jacob Ramsey inside the area just 10 minutes later, allowing a rather unpopular Marcus Rashford to score, as the former Manchester United man had no issues in slotting past Stefan Ortega Moreno to level the scoring in the 18th minute.
Just when it seemed like Manchester City were going to drop more vital points, Jeremy Doku produced a dazzling run to skip past Axel Disasi and produce a sublime, inch-perfect outside-of-the-foot pass to the back post, allowing Matheus Nunes to hammer in with no remorse in the 94th minute.
Throughout history, Manchester City have had the better of the Villains, emerging victorious 75 times, with 40 ending in a stalemate, and Aston Villa winning the remaining 51 of the 166 meetings in total.
Statistics
- Aston Villa have won their last two home league games against Manchester City, last winning more consecutively between 1960 and 1975 (5).
- Manchester City have won 31 games and scored 101 goals against Aston Villa in the Premier League – only against Newcastle (32 wins, 106 goals) have they done so more.
- After a five-game winless start in the Premier League this season (D3, L2), Aston Villa have since won each of their last three games. The only team in top-flight history to have a five-game winless start and then win their next four games is Preston in 1936/37.
- Manchester City have won more points in the Premier League than any other side since the start of April (39 – W12, D3, L2). They have only conceded the first goal in two games in that time, while they have opened the scoring in their last six games, their best run since a run of eight between April and August 2024.
- Aston Villa have won their last two Premier League games when they have conceded the first goal, beating Fulham 3-1 and Spurs 2-1. Since Unai Emery’s first game with the Villains in November 2022, only Pep Guardiola (14) has more wins after conceding first than Emery (11).
With both teams in strong form, this fixture promises to be a thrilling contest filled with tactical depth and attacking flair. Villa’s recent momentum at home combined with City’s hunger to chase down Arsenal could make for a classic Premier League showdown at Villa Park.
How To Watch
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the game will be available to watch live on Sky Sports, with action getting underway from 14:00 GMT.
For those in the United States, the match will commence at 9:00 EST, with the clash available to stream on multiple platforms such as fuboTV and NBC Sports.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What time does Aston Villa vs Manchester City kick off?
A: The match begins at 14:00 GMT (9:00 EST for U.S. viewers).
Q2: Where is the match being played?
A: The Premier League fixture takes place at Villa Park, Birmingham.
Q3: What TV channel is Aston Villa vs Manchester City on?
A: It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK and on NBC Sports in the U.S.
Q4: What is the recent form of both teams?
A: Manchester City are unbeaten in nine games across all competitions, while Aston Villa have won their last three Premier League matches.
Q5: Who are the key players to watch?
A: For City, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva remain crucial, while Aston Villa’s hopes rest on Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby’s attacking threat.
Conclusion
Sunday’s clash between Aston Villa and Manchester City promises fireworks. Pep Guardiola’s men are looking to extend their unbeaten run, while Unai Emery’s rejuvenated Villa side will aim to prove their top-four credentials in front of a passionate home crowd. With both teams known for their attacking quality and tactical sharpness, this match could easily turn into one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League weekend.
Whether it’s Haaland’s ruthless finishing or Emery’s disciplined defensive setup, expect drama, goals, and moments of brilliance as these two sides battle it out at Villa Park.
