Manchester City vs Aston Villa Betting Preview

The Premier League season is slowly but surely coming to a close, and it’s not outrageous to say that it’s been a bit of a strange campaign. From a one-sided title race to a very obvious bottom three in the relegation zone, the only real thing left to fight for now are the European places. Thankfully, the two teams we’re taking a look at today are involved in that particular race.

Manchester City, by all accounts, have had a pretty poor season. Pep Guardiola is so used to having success with this club that only being in the running for the FA Cup is a bit of a step down. Still, that’s going to be a big focus for them, but the same is obviously true for their pursuit of Champions League football – which they’ll be able to obtain if they can finish in the top five, instead of top four.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a remarkable European campaign in which they were just one or two moments of magic away from reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. Unai Emery has done an exceptional job with this team and it certainly feels like they’re back for good, especially given how well the club seems to be run behind the scenes.

A game like this is interesting for two reasons. One, it pits two teams against each other who are gunning for a place in next year’s European Cup. Two, it could easily serve as a preview of this year’s FA Cup final, especially given that both sides are seen as the favourites in their respective semi-finals ties against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

Essentially, there’s a lot still to play for when these two collide at the Etihad. So whether you’re looking to play some roulette online or you’re just interested in finding out more about the game, we’re here to run down what we can expect to see in this midweek clash.

For City, one of the big bonuses for them is that Kevin De Bruyne seems set on finishing off his tenure with the club with a real bang. He wants to go out in style and that means putting forward the best performances he can every single week, dragging Pep’s men kicking and screaming back into the Champions League.

For Villa, they have the knowledge that they are more than capable of matching a team like City, especially given the fact that a few of their biggest stars are currently on the shelf. We expect this to be a tactical, hard-fought affair, and one that is actually pretty even in terms of both possession and who has the most shots at goal.

In the end, though, we do think City will be able to get over the line and pick up all three points. It’ll be a grind and Villa are probably going to get on the scoresheet, but at the very least, we’re hoping for a game that lives up to its potential.

Official prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa