Villa have won two from two under their new boss, who joined the Midlands team after a successful spell in Glasgow with Rangers.

However, this will be his biggest challenge yet as he comes up against one of the generation’s greatest tactical minds – Pep Guardiola.

City sit second in the league, a point off the leaders Chelsea and a point ahead of Gerrard’s old club, Liverpool.

A win would, at the very least keep City above Jurgen Klopp and co. but if Gerrard can get a result against the league holders, he could do his former employers a favour.

The Sky Blues have recovered from their defeat to Crystal Palace with three straight wins in the league, as well as a victory over PSG to seal first place in their group in the UEFA Champions League.

However, the game against Palace showcased that City do not fare as well without a traditional striker against smaller sides as they have done against Liverpool and Chelsea.

Villa’s new pressing system under Steven Gerrard is still raw but positive work against the likes of Rodri and Joao Cancelo could swing momentum in their favour.

But City have talent and quality in excess compared to Villa and the aforementioned players will still be able to cause the problems they have been causing all season.

The Villains’ defence has looked much more uniform and impressive under Gerrard thus far and a monumental effort will be needed if they are to topple the Kings of England.

Manchester City will be without Kevin De Bruyne, Ferran Torres and Aymeric Laporte for the match, but John Stones is expected to feature.

Former Villain Jack Grealish and Phil Foden face a late fitness test before a decision is made on their status.

Danny Ings, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet are all out for Villa.

Teams

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings (C), Targett; Nakamba, McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Bailey, Watkins, Buendia.

Subs: Steer, Hause, Tuanzebe, Young, Sanson, Ramsey, Chukwuemeka, El Ghazi, Davis.

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Zinchenko; Fernandinho (C), Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Grealish, Foden, Mbete, Palmer, McAtee, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand.

Odds

Aston Villa 7/1

Draw 7/2

Man City 4/11

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime.

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Arsenal v Aston Villa kicks off at 20:00 on Friday, 22nd October in the Emirates Stadium. Referee Craig Pawson will take charge of the tie.

The match will also be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League Ireland with coverage starting at 19:30.

Arsenal are a very happy team at the moment, their recent unbeaten run has got them into 12th place. Last week, after feeling hard done against Crystal Palace, they still managed a last-minute draw.

Bukayo Saka is now out with injuries due to a reckless challenge by McArthur that only saw yellow. Mikel Arteta will need his fringe players, Alexandre Lacazette and Gabriel Martinelli, to step up this weekend.

Aston Villa has hit a hard spot in their season’s form. Two recent losses have them in 13th place, one spot behind their weekend opponents.

Last week, they played some great football for 80 minutes only for three late Wolves goals to steal the match. You can read more here about the casino roulette feel it is watching them. Dean Smith will now be hungry for a win to get their team back on track.

The Gunners’ fans might be optimistic going into this game. In their last 18 meetings, Arsenal has won 12 games while Villa has won five. This is very unlikely to be a draw going by history with only one game ending in a draw.

Arteta’s main problem is that his team has lost their last three games on the bounce without scoring. September 2019 was the last time that the London Reds were victorious in this fixture.

You can see Ramsdale-type passion from all the players even White who looks like a calm character!! The spirit is back!! Arsenal is coming! #COYG pic.twitter.com/2LWrh6n5WS

— GravityGooner (@Gravitygunner14) October 21, 2021

Arsenal v Aston Villa Probable Starting Teams

Arsenal

Formation

4-2-3-1

Probable Starting 11

Ramsdale (GK), Tierney, White, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Lokonga, Partey, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Injuries / Suspensions

Saka (Calf), Xhaka (Knee)

Aston Villa

Formation

3-5-2

Probable Starting 11

Martinez (GK), Konsa, Tuanzebe, Mings, Targett, Buendia, Luiz, McGinn, Cash, Bailey, Ings.

Injuries / Suspensions

Trezeguet (Knee)

The boss starts with team news: “Matty Cash is back training now, so he’s fine.

“Leon Bailey has been back training for the last couple of days, so he’s fine as well, as is Bertrand Traoré. Keinan Davis is also back, so we’re starting to get a fully fit squad.”#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/XeN8ePzOpS

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 21, 2021

Arsenal v Aston Villa Betting

Arsenal to win: 10/11

Draw: 5/2

Aston Villa to win: 14/5

Score Prediction

This might be the best chance for Arsenal to win against Villa. They are back at home in front of a full crowd, unbeaten in six matches while the Clarets have lost their last two. Without young star Saka, it will not be easy but they should have enough attacking power to clutch a victory.

Expect the game to end 3-2 to Arsenal.

6 years ago today, Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Emirates.

My favourite picture from a memorable night. pic.twitter.com/sj1Nxpkf2e

— Patrick Timmons (@PatrickTimmons1) October 20, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

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Manchester United and Aston Villa will go head-to-head on the Gameweek 5 of the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

This game will be an interesting game for both teams. The last time these two sides met was last May where Ole Gunnar Solsjkaers side came out 1-3 victors at Villa Park. Man United also took 6 points from 6 from Villa in the 2020/2021 season.

Manchester United Retrospective

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is coming off a 0-1 home loss to West Ham United in the League Cup and will be hoping to put things right here with a comprehensive win at Old Trafford.

Winning 1-2 away to Wes Ham last Sunday in the league with a Jesse Lingard winner late on, before David De Gea saved a dramatic last-minute penalty from substitute Mark Noble.

Aston Villa Retrospective

Dean Smith’s side will come into this game full of confidence after their last two showings. Winning 3-0 at home to in-form and unbeaten Everton was a major coup and while they did lose on Wednesday to Chelsea in the League Cup on penalties, they managed to create numerous chances late on and could have won it.

Date, kick-off time and venue

This game between West Ham United and Manchester United will kick off at 12:30 pm BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at Old Trafford.

Where to watch Manchester United v Aston Villa

The game will not be televised on any UK based platform.

Manchester United v Aston Villa team news

Edison Cavani is still out but may feature from the bench. Amad Diallo Traore is set to return from a thigh injury next month.

Marcus Rashford is still recovering from his shoulder surgery but is back in training. With manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying on Tuesday;  “I don’t think we’ll see Marcus until after the international break.”

Dean Smith will be without Axel Tuanzebe in his defence as the defender is cup-tied as he is currently on loan from United.

John McGinn is currently being assessed by the Villa medical team after he suffered a head injury in their 3-0 win against Everton but should be fit to play.

Summer signing Leon Bailey is currently suffering from an ongoing thigh injury and is currently being assessed while Matt Targett may return in time to start after a groin injury.

West Ham United v Manchester United prediction

It should be a tight and cagey game, with both teams playing well this season, attacking well and defending adequately.

Man United sit third in the league table, level on points with both league leaders Chelsea and second-place Liverpool. They were knocked out of the League Cup midweek but with many of their big hitters rested this game should be different.

Villa was also knocked out by Chelsea on penalties but they had a lot of chances after equalising and will feel like they should have done better.

Both teams will need the points, for United, it is to carry on their unbeaten run and put pressure on their rivals while Villa will need some form of consistency.

Prediction: Manchester United 1-0

Predicted Line-Up

Manchester United XI – (4-2-3-1)

D, Gea, L. Shaw, H. Maguire, R. Varane, A. Wan-Bissaka, S. McTominay, Fred, P. Pogba, B. Fernandes, J. Sancho, C. Ronaldo

Aston Villa XI – (5-3-2)

D. Martinez, M. Cash, A. Young, T. Ming, M. Targett, E. Buendia, D. Luiz, J. McGinn, D. Ings, O. Watkins

Manchester United v Aston Villa – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Betting Odds

Manchester United To Win: 4/11

Draw: 4/1

Aston Villa To Win: 13/2

For more news and stories on all things, Premier League click here.

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The match will kick off at 19:45 on Wednesday 22nd September in Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea could not be in better form, having scored seven goals in three wins on the bounce. After beating Spurs 3-0 at the weekend, the Blues are now 11 matches unbeaten.

This will be the club’s first EFL Cup game of the season due to their success last year but they have had plenty of match experience in recent weeks.

Aston Villa has had a decent time coping with the loss of their talisman Jack Grealish to Man City. They have picked up two wins and a draw in their opening five league matches including an impressive 3-0 drubbing of Everton where newcomer Leon Bailey wowed the fans.

Villa polished off League Two side Barrow 6-0 to reach this stage of the competition with Cameron Archer as the star of the show.

It has not been long since the last time these two clubs faced each other, less than two weeks ago Chelsea managed to beat Villa 3-0 playing poorly, with Lukaku netting a brace. The Clarets do not like this fixture, having only won three of their last 18 meetings.

19 – Aged 19 years and 258 days old, Cameron Archer became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for Aston Villa since Gary Shaw (18y 342d) vs Bristol City in 1979. Opportunity. pic.twitter.com/2cuSktZdBJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 25, 2021

Predicted Starting Teams

Chelsea

Formation

3-4-2-1

Starting 11

Arrizabalaga (GK), Chalobah, Christensen, Sarr, Hudson-Odoi, Saul, Kanté, Chilwell, Havertz, Mount, Werner

Injuries / Suspensions

Pulisic (Ankle), Mendy (Ankle)

Aston Villa

Formation

5-3-2

Starting 11

Steer (GK), Targett, Mings, Tuanzebe, Hause, Young, Ramsey, Hourihane, Nakamba, Watkins, Archer

Injuries / Suspensions

Chukwuemeka (Knock), Philogene-Bidace (Knock), McGinn (Head), Davis (Knee), Bailey (Thigh), Trezeguet (Knee), Cash (Knock)

So satisfying… @DiegoCosta adding the finishing touch to one of our three goals against Aston Villa #onthisday in 2014! pic.twitter.com/iPcFAFiofX

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 27, 2020

Betting

Chelsea 2/5

Draw 7/2

Aston Villa 13/2

Score Prediction

Tuchel seems to be on fire with his selection choices and with the squad depth he has it is hard for him to go wrong. Villa’s injury concerns will have a major impact on the result of this tie as their rotation players struggle to contain Champions League stars.

Expect this game to end 3-0 (again) to Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel said this when he joined Chelsea in January.

Fair to say he's done it already pic.twitter.com/XPgbNA9ieR

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 20, 2021

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The match will kick off at 17:30 on Saturday, 11th September in Stamford Bridge with Stuart Atwell as referee.

Thomas Tuchel is very happy with his team’s opening performances in the Premier League. After three games, they are one of seven teams still unbeaten.

Last week, a controversial game against Liverpool saw the Blues lucky to get away with a point so now they will be pushing hard for a win on Saturday.

Villa find themselves in 11th place after picking up a win and a draw in their opening three games. Even though they have been shaky in some positions, they seem to be dealing well without talisman Jack Grealish.

Two Villa players, Emi Martinez and Emi Buendia were recently arrested mid-game in Brazil for breaking Covid-19 restrictions when entering the country. It will be interesting to see how this affects their club matches.

In the two sides’ last 17 encounters, Chelsea have won 11 matches while Villa won three and three also ended in draws. Last season, the Clarets proved their strength by claiming four points in two games.

Buendia, Romero, Lo Celso and Martinez lied saying that "they were not in England" when they literally played their matches during live TV, what did they expect… pic.twitter.com/wTNY5G1Hzf

— Galu (@PSGalu) September 5, 2021

Predicted Starting 11s

Chelsea

Formation

3-4-2-1

Predicted Team

Mendy (GK), Rudiger, Silva, Christensen, Chilwell, Kovacic, Jorginho, Azpilicueta, Mount, Ziyech, Werner.

Injuries

Kante (Doubtful), Havertz (Doubtful), James (Suspended), Lukaku (Thigh)

Aston Villa

Formation

4-2-3-1

Predicted Team

Martinez (GK), Targett, Tuanzebe, Hause, Cash, McGinn, Luiz, Young, Buendia, El-Ghazi, Ings

Injuries

Mings (Knock), Konsa (Knock), Sanson (Knee), Ramsey (Covid19), Traoré (Hamstring), Trezeguet (Knee), Bailey (Hamstring), Davis (Knee)

John McGinn:

“I always had an idea Aston Villa were a big club. But now realise I misjudged it – they are a massive club. The training ground is out of this world, and the stadium has that old-fashioned feel about it, a proper, traditional stadium.”#AVFC pic.twitter.com/IfpZFebtT1

— AVFC Archive (@AvfcArchive) September 4, 2021

Betting

Chelsea 1/4

A draw has odds of 9/2

Aston Villa 10/1

Predicted Score

Both squads are under considerable shake-ups due to injuries and the international break. Although the Blues will be missing stars like Kante and Lukaku, it is hard to neglect that Villa are missing nearly a full team.

Unless some issues can be resolved in Villa in the coming days, expect this game to end 3-0 to Chelsea.

Tammy and Mason: 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭. #CHEAVL comes next. pic.twitter.com/iY4NPm9wLf

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 5, 2021

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With four years left on his contract at Aston Villa, Man City would need to spend upwards of €100m to sign the 25-year-old.

Grealish is presently representing England at Euro 2020 and it is known that no transfers will be done until the end of the competition.

Although football agents are not allowed to enter the England training ground, they can still talk to their players over the phone.

The Englishman is yet to say publicly if he would like to move to the Premier League champions or stay with his boyhood club.

Also, Aston Villa has no interest in selling their prized player, offering a new, improved contract to his representatives.

Man City will offer £100m/$139m for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish after #EURO2020, according to multiple reports pic.twitter.com/RMYOQJrIts

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 25, 2021

Would Grealish be worth the money?

It is no secret that Grealish is one of the hottest prospects in English football. Last year he got six goals and 10 assists in a season plagued by a shin injury.

He still managed to be the most fouled player in the Premier League in just 26 games showing that he is the focal point of Villa.

For Man City, it is clear that they will be prioritizing a move for a striker this summer. They have already in talks with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for big money transfers.

If the move happened, Grealish would be competing with Riyad Mahrez, Ferran Torres, Kevin De Bruyne, and Raheem Sterling for a starting place.

The English man is undoubtedly a great talent and players like Mahrez and Bernardo Silva could be sold to make way for new stars.

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The Argentinian winger is fresh off scoring 15 goals and getting 16 assists in the Championship.

This proved to be an vital part in Norwich winning the second division to return to the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has impressed on Norwich’s right wing for the last three seasons and has shown his quality as a playmaker and goal scorer.

Aston Villa have beaten off teams like Arsenal to get the player’s signature.

Aston Villa have announced a club-record deal worth an initial £33m for Norwich midfielder Emiliano Buendia.#bbcfootball

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 7, 2021

Do Aston Villa need Buendia?

This is an important move for Villa who are trying to secure a top ten finish in the Premier league with interest surrounding captain Jack Grealish.

Now, there will be more competition for the Claret and Blue between Anwar El Ghazi, Bertrand Traore and Buendia for starting places.

Buendia will  join the Aston Villa squad after he finishes his international duty with Argentina.

Argentina will begin their Copa America title charge on Monday 14^th of June against Chile.

Love these highlights of Villa’s new man Emi Buendia #avfc pic.twitter.com/3Tvot1O9O2

— Aston Villa Statto (@AVFCStatto) June 7, 2021

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David McGoldrick managed to get on the scoresheet this evening as his side Sheffield United gathered what could be an important 3 points against Aston Villa.

He scored in the 30^th minute. Initially he evaded a defender and made some space with a deft touch before switching a wonderfully weighted diagonal ball out to George Baldock on the right flank. McGoldrick then made his way into the box with a clever run towards the back post before he was found by Baldock with a pinpoint cross. All he had to do then was tap the ball into the net, and that he did.

Phil Jagielka got sent off for Sheffield United in the 50^th minute leaving his teammates a gargantuan challenge in terms of gaining 3 points. However, they showed incredible resilience and defensive prowess for the remainder of the game which was rewarded with a much-needed victory.

Even with Sheffield United’s win today and improved form since winter, Premier League survival still remains highly unlikely.

They remain bottom of the table after tonight’s win with 14 points out of 27 games. They would need a massive 12 points as it stands if they were to climb out of the relegation zone with Newcastle and Brighton both on 26 points.

Despite his club’s substandard Premier League performance, David McGoldrick has been putting in some very impressive performances this season.

Not only has he managed his fair share of goals and assists, his contribution beyond numbers is something that can often be taken for granted.

McGoldrick announced his international retirement in December but there have been signs recently to suggest he may be at least considering a return to the Ireland fold.

Could McGoldrick possibly make the World Cup qualification squad to be announced this month?

David McGoldrick. What. A. Player. pic.twitter.com/Tt64mjdjQO

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) MARCH 3, 2021

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Caoimhin Kelleher is set to make his first start of 2021 as Liverpool take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup 3^rd round.

The Cork native played – and impressed – in a handful of games throughout December but Alisson’s return from injury demoted him to the bench as backup keeper.

Kelleher managed to keep a clean sheet in 2 of the 3 matches he played in December, including a man of the match performance against European giants Ajax.

Tonight he will be keeping out a youthful Aston Villa side comprised of their u23 and u18 players.

They get their opportunity after a coronavirus outbreak within the first team squad ruled out senior players from competing.

Liverpool, despite the inexperience of their opposition, have fielded a strong XI comprised of first team players.

The more notable players in the Liverpool squad include Mohamed Salah, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Fabinho.

Every single player in the Liverpool starting XI has seen first team minutes this season. In contrast, none of the Aston Villa squad have senior minutes under their belt this season.

There were rumours that fellow Corkman Tyreik Wright may make his competitive Aston Villa debut tonight. He, however, has not made the squad list.

Wright trained with the Aston Villa first team during the summer. His exclusion may be a result of the teenager training with the first team recently.

#FACup team news is in…

How the Reds line-up to face @AVFCOfficial #AVLLIV | #FACup

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 8, 2021

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Manchester United took on Aston Villa in the 2^nd Premier League game of 2021 – following West Ham’s win over Everton earlier.

Both teams had plenty on the line going into the game. Aston Villa had the chance to move into the top 4 with a win while United could have gone top of the table with a similar result.

Manchester United came out on top in the end thanks to goals from Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes. The match finished 2-1, meaning United are now level on points with Liverpool on top of the table.

FIRST HALF

Manchester United started the game brightly, attacking with pace and intent.

Emi Martinez had his first real tester in the 10^th minute. Anthony Martial struck from outside of the box but the Villa keeper denied the Frenchman with an agile save.

Aston Villa had a chance of their own just moments later. Matty Cash’s overlap allowed him space to cross and his ball into the box fell to John McGinn. The Scottish international struck low on the volley before David de Gea got a good hand on it to avert the danger.

After a period where both teams had their half chances, Anthony Martial finally made the breakthrough for Manchester United in the 39^th minute. The goal came a typical Manchester United counter attack. Aaron Wan-Bissaka bombed down the right flank before delivering a cross into the box which was met by the head of Martial before going into the net. He did well to anticipate and react to the opportunity. Tyrone Mings was at fault for the goal, having failed to intercept the cross into Martial.

The first half ended 1-0 to Manchester United as a result of Anthony Martial’s goal. Aston Villa showed signs of promise but also faded out of the game for large periods. A better second half was needed for Dean Smith’s side to warrant a good result.

SECOND HALF

Aston Villa started the second half much better than they played for the majority of the first.

Their pressure nearly culminated in a goal in the 51^st minute. Jack Grealish was involved heavily as he crossed into the box and onto Ollie Watkins head. David de Gea produced a superb save to hook Watkins’ shot over the bar and out for a corner.

Aston Villa continued to knock on the door and their efforts paid off in the 58^th minute with a Bertrand Traore goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was largely to blame for the goal. His poor positioning gave Jack Grealish of all people acres of space to work. Grealish took advantage of Wan-Bissaka’s error and crossed low into the box which was met and finished by Bertrand Traore.

Aston Villa’s equaliser didn’t last long. Manchester United were awarded a penalty in the 61^st after some good work by Paul Pogba. VAR were called into action to discuss the validity of the penalty and after some consultation, the penalty stood. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and he dispatched his effort low and hard into the corner.

Paul Pogba had a great chance to make it 3-1 in the 72^nd minute. Luke Shaw crossed in low from the byline to Pogba who was in space, but he fired wide of the post.

Emi Martinez was on hand again in the 76^th minute, this time he kept out in-form Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international shot from outside the box but Martinez managed to get a good hand to divert the ball behind.

Tyrone Mings had an excellent opportunity to atone for his mistake in the 83^rd minute. Matty Cash delivered a fantastic free kick into the box from wide. Mings got his head on the ball after a battle with Harry Maguire but his shot went just wide.

Matty Cash had a good second half and he nearly ended the half with a goal. He struck well from outside the box but David de Gea was at hand to tip it behind.

Eric Bailly produced a brilliant challenge/block right at the death to keep out Keinan Davis.

The match finished 2-1 to Manchester United after Bailly’s heroic defending. The Red Devils are now level on points with Liverpool.

Joint-top of the table!

#MUFC
#⃣ #MUNAVL
#PL@Chevrolet

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 1, 2021

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