Man City v Aston Villa preview: Team news, lineups, supercomputer prediction
Aston Villa can take a huge step towards Champions League qualification when they travel to Manchester City on Tuesday.
Unai Emery‘s side will be full of confidence after their 4-1 win over fellow top-five contenders Newcastle United on Saturday (19 April).
The Villans are behind fifth-place Nottingham Forest on goal difference, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have a game in hand.
There is no margin for error at this point in the campaign if the Villa Park outfit are to spend another season among Europe’s elite.
Manchester City v Aston Villa preview
Villa have hit form at the right time having won 11 of their last 12 in all competitions, barring the 3-1 away loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Emery’s side have won their last five Premier League matches, and if they can maintain their recent form, they will be in contention to achieve their ambitions.
The victory over the Magpies was particularly impressive given that their opponents had won six in a row coming into the contest.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 4. Man City | 33 | +22 | 58 |
| 5. Nottingham Forest | 32 | +13 | 57 |
| 6. Aston Villa | 33 | +6 | 57 |
| 7. Chelsea | 32 | +17 | 54 |
That result will leave the Villans feeling that they can get the better of City and take a monumental step towards a top-five finish.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions since the 1-0 loss to Forest (8 March).
The Citizens have won three of their last four league matches and beat Everton 2-0 last time out on 19 April.
Team news
Emery has a full squad at his disposal and could make four changes for the contest at the Etihad Stadium.
In the backline, Axel Disasi, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne could replace Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen.
Marcus Rashford could take Marco Asensio’s place in the only attacking change for the visitors.
Meanwhile, Guardiola has a host of stars ruled out with Ederson, Nathan Ake, John Stones, Rodri and Erling Haaland set to miss the clash.
Predicted lineups
Manchester City: Ortega, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gundogan, Gonzalez, Doku, De Bruyne, Foden, Marmoush
Aston Villa: Martinez, Disasi, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Rashford, Watkins
Betting Odds
Manchester City: 17/20
Draw: 16/5
Aston Villa: 14/5
(Odds from Bet 365, as of 20 April)
Supercomputer Prediction
The odds are against Emery’s side on this occasion, with the Opta supercomputer giving City a 50.5 per cent chance of victory.
A Villa win is the second most likely outcome, with a probability of 26.5 per cent, while a draw is given a 22.9 per cent likelihood.