Manchester City goalie Joe Hart. (Getty)
After a rough patch in form, Manchester City returned to some sense of normalcy last week as the Sky Blues comfortably defeated West Ham. Hitman Sergio Aguero added to his total in that game and now is tied with Harry Kane of Tottenham for first the English Premier League with 20 goals.
City enters Saturday’s matchup with Aston Villa fourth in the EPL table, sitting two points behind second-placed Arsenal with a game more played.
Villa had lost seven straight league matches to creep closer to the relegation zone, but a recent haul of 10 points out of a possible 18 has created only a small amount of breathing room. Finishing in the bottom three is still a possibility as teams below them continue to pick up points.
Here’s what you need to know about the match:
The Basics
Who:
Manchester City vs. Aston Villa
What:
English Premier League Game Week 34
When:
Saturday, April 25
Where:
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Time:
12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Channel:
NBC (US)/Sky Sports 1 (UK): (International viewers, click here for your local provider)
Odds:
Manchester City -140, Aston Villa +650, Draw +175
Christian Benteke has helped Aston Villa turn its season around. (Getty)
Scouting Manchester City
Record: 19-7-7, 4th (64 points)
Coach: Manuel Pellegrini, 2nd season
Goals Per Game: 2.03
Clean Sheets: 11
Leading Goal Scorer: Sergio Aguero, 20
Assist Leader: Jesus Navas, 7
Card Leader: Vincent Kompany, 7 yellow cards
Scouting Aston Villa
Record: 8-17-8, 15th (32 points)
Coach: Tim Sherwood, 1st season
Goals Per Game: 0.73
Clean Sheets: 9
Leading Goal Scorer: Christian Benteke, 10
Assist Leader: Leandro Bacuna, 3
Card Leader: Ciaran Clark, 8 yellow cards, 1 red card
Prediction:
Manchester City enters this game with twice as many points as Aston Villa, and despite Villa’s impressive showing in the FA Cup semis, the talent gap between the two teams remains large. This is the match the hosts return to top form. 4-1 Manchester City