Manchester City XI vs Aston Villa – Predicted lineup and team news

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The Football Faithful

·21 December 2024

Manchester City XI vs Aston Villa – Predicted lineup and team news

Manchester City travel to face Aston Villa in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Pep Guardiola’s team are seeking to end an unforeseen decline in results, with last weekend’s dramatic derby defeat to Manchester United the latest setback in their season.

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City have lost five of their last seven league games and have won just once in 11 across all competitions. Their slump has seen the champions drop to fifth in the table, nine points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more.

Aston Villa will represent tough opposition in their bid to get back on track. Unai Emery’s side sit just three points outside the top four and have made a solid start in their maiden Champions League campaign. The Villans are fifth in the standings and on course for automatic qualification to the Round of 16.

Manchester City XI vs Aston Villa – Predicted lineup and team news

Manchester City team news

Pep Guardiola confirmed another blow for the Blues in Friday’s press conference with Ruben Dias facing ‘three or four weeks’ on the sidelines with a muscular injury.

The centre-back’s absence is countered by the return of John Stones and Manuel Akanji, who are both available and could be thrust back into a depleted defence.

Rico Lewis returns from a suspension that ruled him out of the Manchester Derby. Elsewhere, Mateo Kovacic could come into a mdifield that has lacked legs in recent weeks.