Despite announcing their intention to join the Super League from next season, Manchester City still have a title to play for. The Citizens are leading the Premier League and have an opportunity to move further ahead of rivals Manchester United in the table when they play Aston Villa.
That talk of the Super League will dominate the headlines when Manchester City take on Aston Villa on Wednesday is to be expected. The Citizens will go up against a side that was successful for several brief periods in their history. Aston Villa had won seven league titles and one UEFA Champions League equivalent by the time City popped back up on the map.
It is ironic then that Europe’s elite does not consider the Villains as an appropriate invitee to their closed competition. That invite instead has gone to Manchester City, who despite being largely less successful than their opponents, happen to have the advantage of the recency bias. The insurmountable riches, on the back of which the Manchester side has gained an advantage in the past decades, also happen to be a key reason for the same.
When the two teams meet in their latest Premier League encounter, they won’t meet as equals. One team has played its cards and now considers itself to be a part of a European elite, which just so happens to see itself above the traditional competition. The other retains its place in the established order fighting hard to preserve itself amid the calls for drastic change.
For all the talk, both Manchester City and Aston Villa have certain tasks left to accomplish. City are trying to win yet another title under Pep Guardiola, while Villa are looking to finish in one of the European spots. The Villains are currently eleventh on the league table and have accumulated 44 points. They also have two games in hand over ninth-placed Arsenal and will surpass them should they win either of them. Arsenal is another one of the ‘big’ sides invited to play in the Super League.
However, beating Manchester City is no walk in the park. Guardiola’s side is stubborn in defence and ruthless in attack. It is no accident that they find themselves within touching distance of a third league title in four years. Nevertheless, recent results have proven that City are not unbeatable. Guardiola’s team has lost back-to-back weekend fixtures, the first of which was against ten-men Leeds United.
Key Players
Phil Foden: It has been a difficult week for Foden, who was caught up in a controversy regarding his social media account before being on the losing side in the FA Cup semi-final. However, the midweek fixture will allow the youngster to do what he does best – play football. Foden is now a fully-established first-team player, and one Guardiola can rely upon to produce moments of magic.
Raheem Sterling: He has had his ups and downs, but Sterling is into double figures for both goals and assists, yet again. The Englishman has scored 13 times this season and provided 11 assists. Nine and seven of those have come in the Premier League, respectively. The winger plays a key role in Guardiola’s striker-less system and will again be the key to his side’s attacking presence against Villa.
John McGinn: The Scottish midfielder has had to step up in the absence of his teammate Jack Grealish. While Grealish is the star who makes magical things happen, McGinn is the hard worker who enables those around him to play at their best. He is key to how Villa defend and attack. His partnership with Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park has been important for his team throughout the season.
Ollie Watkins: The England international is beginning to look worth the money following his summer move to Villa from Brentford. Watkins has scored 12 times in the league already and will be looking to continue his good run of late when his team faces Manchester City. The Englishman was on the scoresheet for both of Villa’s previous matches. He will be looking to score for the third consecutive time when City comes for a visit to Villa Park.
Prediction
Aston Villa do not have a good record against Manchester City. They have lost 11 of their previous 13 matches in the league against the Citizens, winning one and drawing the other. Furthermore, the Manchester outfit has beaten Villa in all of their four previous meetings, by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.
However, that doesn’t mean that Villa have no chance of winning this match. City will have one eye on the horizon with the EFL Cup Final looming, while the players themselves will be distracted by the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the Super League announcement. If there is any time to take advantage of City, it is now.
Nevertheless, Guardiola’s team winning this one with ease won’t be a surprise. They have enough superstars to use in this match before fielding another competition team on the weekend.
