Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester Metropolis
What: English Premier League
The place: Villa Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: 12:30pm (12:30 GMT) on Saturday
Comply with Al Jazeera’s stay textual content and picture build-up and commentary stream.
Manchester Metropolis won’t search to deal with their present disaster of type with new recruits in January, in accordance with supervisor Pep Guardiola.
4-time defending Premier League champions Metropolis have misplaced eight and received simply certainly one of their final 11 video games in all competitions.
Final season’s shock package deal Aston Villa now await at Villa Park on Saturday though each golf equipment have underperformed this season. Guardiola mentioned he received’t, nonetheless, search to rebuild his squad within the January switch window when requested about whether or not the present squad can flip issues round.
“I don’t know. That shall be on the finish of the season. On the finish of the season, we are going to see the scenario,” Guardiola informed reporters on Friday. “What I would like is my gamers again [from injury]. My feeling is the squad is admittedly good. It’s not if they’re good or dangerous gamers.
“We misplaced two vital figures for some time. We would like gamers again, after which after what occurs within the winter and what occurs on the finish of the season, the membership and myself will resolve what’s finest for the workforce.”
Metropolis’s troubled season was dealt one other blow this week with affirmation that defender Ruben Dias shall be out for as much as 4 weeks due to a muscle damage.
Guardiola has cited accidents to key gamers equivalent to Rodri as a consider his workforce’s troubles, and the lack of Dias compounds his issues with the Metropolis supervisor including Dias’s damage occurred throughout Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
“After 75 minutes towards United, he felt one thing. He’s sturdy and needed to remain on the pitch, however now he’s injured,” Guardiola mentioned.
Metropolis’s worrying run has damaged from 5 straight defeats to at least one win and three defeats in six, topped up by Manchester United’s turnaround within the derby win at Etihad Stadium. Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension in November, admits that the run has been tough to stay with, even for a supervisor of his stature.
“I simply completed a recreation the place we have been near successful and we misplaced. For the sequences that occurred, I used to be not blissful,” the Spaniard mentioned. “I attempted to be sincere with myself right here proper now, in six or seven days in the past. In case you fall down six instances, it’s important to arise seven.
“I’m nice. I’m a standard individual with emotions like all of us. When a scenario goes effectively, we’re higher, and when it isn’t going effectively professionally, we’re extra [focused] on what we have now to do.”
Villa completed fourth within the league final season to safe Champions League qualification. This marketing campaign has proved to be harder for Unai Emery’s workforce to navigate.
The Villains are seventh within the desk however a win on Saturday would see them climb above Metropolis in fifth and probably take fourth spot ought to they win by three clear targets.
That spot would have been claimed of their final match on Monday however for a defeat at Nottingham Forest, who themselves claimed into the prized fourth Champions League qualifying spot.
It did come off the again of a three-game successful streak that noticed Villa begin to recreate their type of final season, and Emery stays in buoyant spirits regardless of the daunting process of dealing with the wounded champions.
“In fact, it’s a really robust match and a really thrilling match for us,” the previous Arsenal supervisor mentioned. “The motivation, taking part in Manchester Metropolis at dwelling for our supporters as effectively, goes to be nice.
“We’re going to face all the pieces with our assist at Villa Park. My evaluation now could be preserve going. We’re within the league making an attempt to get higher and naturally accepting all the pieces we’re doing, all the time making an attempt to enhance.
“[City] is an excellent check, and one other competitors, Champions League, is coming, FA Cup. The evaluation now for me is simply desirous about this match.”
Who’re the massive winners from Matchweek 16? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EUJZMZfpLm
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 17, 2024
Aston Villa workforce information
Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey are each within the squad to face Metropolis. Jacob Ramsey is “progressing effectively however not prepared but to be out there”, in accordance with Emery.
Man Metropolis workforce information
Dias has joined Metropolis’s damage listing with a muscle downside. Midfielder Rodri stays a long-term absentee whereas goalkeeper Ederson can also be a doubt.
John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji may all return whereas Rico Lewis is again from a suspension.
Head-to-head
That is the 182nd assembly between the golf equipment with Metropolis successful 81 of the conferences and Villa claiming the spoils on 58 events.
Metropolis won the last meeting 4-1 at Etihad Stadium in April, however Villa have been 1-0 winners in this same fixture at Villa Park in December final 12 months with Leon Bailey scoring the one purpose with 16 minutes to play.
Villa hadn’t received in 15 conferences with Metropolis earlier than that – of which the Cityzens received 13.