New manager Remi Garde is faced with one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar for his first game, at home to Manchester City. The Citizens currently sit on top of the league and are in fine form, unbeaten in the league since September.
Meanwhile, Villa lie rock bottom having not won a game since the opening day against Bournemouth. Taking these facts into consideration, and also knowing that City have only been beaten once on the road in their last seven trips, keeping 5 clean sheets, it’s fair to say that Villa aren’t exactly favorites. But can Remi Garde turn this around?
Previous Meetings
The last time these two met it took a last minute goal from Fernandinho to separate the sides when these two met in October last year, City also had to rely on late goals to beat the Villans, but sadly City have managed to win seven of the last eight games.
Team News
The Villans
Micah Richards is due to return to the starting XI after serving his suspension. Ashley Westwood could also feature despite picking up a knock on Monday. Gabby Agbonlahor is still awaiting a fitness test.
The Citizens
David Silva returns to the bench for Manchester City as he nears full recovery. Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta remain injured and out of the match day squad.
Prediction
Both teams have pressure to win. Villa will be looking to impress under Remi Garde for the first time in front of their fans. Manchester City are chasing the Premier League title and looking to create a gap between themselves and Arsenal, which also makes this a hugely important game for them.
I believe that the team who can handle the pressure best is bound to succeed in this match and I predict a 1-1 draw. Villa will be the more motivated side and are playing at home. Therefore they should be able to hold on for a crucial point against the league leaders, who often look shaky against smaller teams.
The absence of City’s crucial player in Aguero will also go in Villa’s favour.
