Manchester City travel to Aston Villa Saturday desperately seeking to end their worst run under Pep Guardiola, having won just once in their last 11 matches across all competitions. The champions face a Villa side eager to leapfrog them in the Premier League standings with a victory at Villa Park.
City enter the 12:30 GMT kickoff reeling from last weekend’s Manchester derby defeat, their eighth loss in this miserable stretch. Villa, despite their own recent setback in a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, have an opportunity to compound City’s struggles and continue their impressive home form.
Team news suggests Villa will be without Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey due to hamstring injuries, though Ollie Watkins is expected to return to the starting lineup. City’s Ruben Dias joins Oscar Bobb and Rodri on the injury list, while Manuel Akanji could return and Mateo Kovacic is available after appearing as a substitute last week.
The hosts have won one of their last five meetings with City, though that victory came in this fixture last season. City claimed a 4-1 win in their most recent encounter in April, but their current form crisis has made them vulnerable as they attempt to remain in touch with the title race.
Villa Park is expected to provide an intimidating atmosphere as the home side looks to capitalize on City’s defensive errors and attacking struggles. The champions’ fight to maintain their place in the top four faces another stern test against Unai Emery’s well-organized Villa squad.
