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 dwell textual content and photograph build-up and commentary stream.
Manchester Metropolis is not going to search to handle their present disaster of kind with new recruits in January, in response to supervisor Pep Guardiola.
4-time defending Premier League champions Metropolis have misplaced eight and gained simply one in all their final 11 video games in all competitions.
Final season’s shock bundle Aston Villa now await at Villa Park on Saturday though each golf equipment have underperformed this season. Guardiola mentioned he gained’t, nevertheless, 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 might be on the finish of the season. On the finish of the season, we’ll see the state of affairs,” Guardiola instructed reporters on Friday. “What I need is my gamers again [from injury]. My feeling is the squad is de facto good. It’s not if they’re good or dangerous gamers.
“We misplaced two necessary figures for some time. We wish 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 greatest for the group.”
Metropolis’s troubled season was dealt one other blow this week with affirmation that defender Ruben Dias might be out for as much as 4 weeks due to a muscle harm.
Guardiola has cited accidents to key gamers resembling Rodri as a think about his group’s troubles, and the lack of Dias compounds his issues with the Metropolis supervisor including Dias’s harm occurred throughout Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
“After 75 minutes in opposition to United, he felt one thing. He’s robust and wished to remain on the pitch, however now he’s injured,” Guardiola mentioned.
Metropolis’s worrying run has damaged from 5 straight defeats to 1 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 troublesome to dwell with, even for a supervisor of his stature.
“I simply completed a sport the place we have been near successful and we misplaced. For the sequences that occurred, I used to be not completely satisfied,” the Spaniard mentioned. “I attempted to be sincere with myself right here proper now, in six or seven days in the past. If you happen to fall down six occasions, you need to rise up seven.
“I’m wonderful. I’m a standard particular person with emotions like all of us. When a state of affairs goes nicely, we’re higher, and when it isn’t going nicely professionally, we’re extra [focused] on what we’ve to do.”
Villa completed fourth within the league final season to safe Champions League qualification. This marketing campaign has proved to be tougher for Unai Emery’s group 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 activity of dealing with the wounded champions.
“After all, it’s a really robust match and a really thrilling match for us,” the previous Arsenal supervisor mentioned. “The motivation, enjoying Manchester Metropolis at residence for our supporters as nicely, goes to be nice.
“We’re going to face every part with our assist at Villa Park. My evaluation now’s hold going. We’re within the league attempting to get higher and naturally accepting every part we’re doing, all the time attempting to enhance.
“[City] is an excellent check, and one other competitors, Champions League, is coming, FA Cup. The evaluation now for me is simply interested by this match.”
Who’re the large winners from Matchweek 16? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EUJZMZfpLm
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 17, 2024
Aston Villa group information
Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey are each within the squad to face Metropolis. Jacob Ramsey is “progressing nicely however not prepared but to be obtainable”, in response to Emery.
Man Metropolis group information
Dias has joined Metropolis’s harm checklist 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 might 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 objective with 16 minutes to play.
Villa hadn’t gained in 15 conferences with Metropolis earlier than that – of which the Cityzens gained 13.
