Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
When: 12:30 pm (12:30 GMT) on Saturday
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Manchester City will not attempt to address their current form crisis with new signings in January, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Four-time defending Premier League champions City have lost eight and won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions.
Last season's surprise package, Aston Villa, now awaits at Villa Park on Saturday, although both clubs have underperformed this season. Guardiola said he will not, however, look to rebuild his squad in the January transfer window when asked if the current squad can turn things around.
“I don't know. That will be at the end of the season. At the end of the season we will see the situation,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “What I want is for my players to come back.” [from injury]. My feeling is that the team is really good. It's not whether they are good or bad players.
“We lost two important figures for a while. “We want players back, and after what happens in the winter and what happens at the end of the season, the club and I will decide what is best for the team.”
City's troubled season was dealt another blow this week with confirmation that defender Ruben Dias will be out for up to four weeks with a muscle injury.
Guardiola has cited injuries to key players such as Rodri as a factor in his team's problems, and the loss of Dias compounds their problems. The City boss added that Dias' injury occurred during Sunday's 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
“After 75 minutes against United, he felt something. “He is strong and wanted to stay on the field, but now he is injured,” Guardiola said.
City's worrying run has gone from five straight defeats to one win and three defeats in six, capped by Manchester United's turnaround in the derby victory at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension in November, admits that the race It's been hard to live witheven for a manager of his stature.
“I just finished a game in which we were close to winning and we lost. Because of the sequences that happened, I was not happy,” said the Spaniard. “I tried to be honest with myself here right now, six or seven days ago. If you fall six times, you will have to get up seven times.
“I'm fine. I'm a normal person with feelings like all of us. When a situation goes well, we are better, and when it doesn't go well professionally, we are more [focused] about what we have to do.”
Villa finished fourth in the league last season to secure qualification for the Champions League. This campaign has been more difficult to face for Unai Emery's team.
The Villains are seventh in the table, but a win on Saturday would see them overtake City into fifth place and potentially move into fourth place if they win by three clear goals.
That place would have been claimed in their final match on Monday, had it not been for a defeat at Nottingham Forest, which claimed the coveted fourth Champions League qualifying spot.
It followed a three-game winning streak in which Villa began to recreate their form from last season, and Emery remains optimistic despite the daunting task of facing the injured champions.
“Of course, it's a very tough and very exciting game for us,” said the former Arsenal manager. “The motivation, playing against Manchester City at home also for our fans, is going to be great.
“We are going to face everything with our support at Villa Park. My assessment now is to move forward. We are in the league trying to improve and of course accepting everything we are doing, always trying to improve.
“[City] It's a very good test and another competition is coming up, the Champions League, the FA Cup. The assessment now for me is just thinking about this game.”
Who are the big winners of matchday 16? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EUJZMZfpLm
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 17, 2024
Aston Villa Team News
Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey are in the team to face City. Jacob Ramsey is “progressing well but is not ready to be available yet,” according to Emery.
Manchester City Team News
Dias has been added to City's injury list with a muscle problem. Midfielder Rodri remains absent for a long time, while goalkeeper Ederson is also a doubt.
John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji could return while Rico Lewis returns from suspension.
Face to face
This is the 182nd meeting between the clubs: City won 81 of the games and Villa took the spoils on 58 occasions.
City won the last meeting 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium in April, but Villa won 1-0 in this same meeting at Villa Park in December last year, with Leon Bailey scoring the only goal with 16 minutes remaining. .
Villa had not won in 15 meetings with City before that, of which the Cityzens won 13.
