Verdict: Manchester City to win both halves
Best Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
Looking to lift their first piece of silverware for the season and retain their EFL Cup, Manchester City will face off against a struggling Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Aston Villa
Starting with the Premier League strugglers, while Aston Villa may have managed to come past Leicester in the most dramatic of fashion last month, Dean Smith’s side have since come crashing back down to earth. Putting in what was a woeful display in their 2-0 defeat away at Southampton last weekend, the top-flight returners have lost their last three matches on the bounce and the mood around Villa Park remains fragile. Still firmly at the heart of a battle to extend on their Premier League status this year, Villa have shipped at least a pair of goals in each of their previous three defeats and have a growing reputation for their issues on the road. Hugely outplayed at St. Mary’s last time out, the former Brentford boss has seen his side remarkably win just one of their last 12 matches across all competitions outside of the Midlands. Opening Sunday’s contest as a huge underdog, Smith’s side could still be haunted by their most recent meeting against the soon to be former top-flight champions. Hit for six at Villa Park back in January, the Clarets and Blues have lost each of their last four meetings against the Sky Blues and they have not recorded a single win against City since 2012.
Team News
Aston Villa will be without both goalkeepers Jed Steer and Tom Heaton on Sunday afternoon.
Anwar El Ghazi and Keinan Davis will be assessed prior to kick-off, while on-loan Chelsea man Danny Drinkwater isn’t eligible.
Manchester City
As for Pep Guardiola’s side, mounting what was a famous European comeback out in Madrid on Wednesday night, there is no doubt that the mood in Manchester City’s camp will be at a high. Coming from one goal down to snatch a crucial advantage at the Bernabeu in midweek, the Sky Blues have won each of their last three matches on the bounce since their shock back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Spurs. While the former Barcelona boss may have seen his side all but relinquish their Premier League title to Liverpool, there is still plenty of silverware left out there for City. Knowing that Sunday is another perfect platform to make another statement, Guardiola could be calling on the red-hot Gabriel Jesus to lead their charge at Wembley. Selected ahead of leading marksman Sergio Aguero out in Spain on Wednesday, the Brazilian striker bagged the equalizer against Los Blancos and has now found the net in back-to-back appearances for the reigning EFL Cup champions. Along with showing their usual strengths in the final third, City have also continued to shine on the road. Winning nine of their last 11 matches away from the Etihad, it is no surprise that they open Sunday’s contest as an overwhelming favorite.
Team News
After being hit with a hamstring injury out in Spain in midweek, key defender Aymeric Laporte will miss Sunday’s final and could face up to a month on the sidelines.
Elsewhere, while Leroy Sane’s return from a long-term knee injury is imminent, the German international will not be ready for City’s trip to Wembley this weekend.
Key Factors to Consider
- When the two sides faced off back in January, Manchester City picked up a 6-1 win at Villa Park.
- In fact, the Sky Blues are unbeaten in their last eight matches against Dean Smith’s side, winning seven of those contests.
- Aston Villa have lost their last three consecutive matches across all competitions.
- Gabriel Jesus has scored in back-to-back appearances and also found the net against Villa back in January.
- Villa have won just one of their last 12 matches away from Villa Park.
Conclusion
On paper, it really is hard to see anything other than a convincing win for Pep Guardiola’s outfit. Landing a 6-1 win when they made the trip to Villa Park back in January they will undoubtedly still flying high from their famous European comeback at the Bernabeu. With Dean Smith’s side losing their last three matches on the bounce and continuing to show some glaring issues outside of the Midlands, we’re backing an empathic Wembley victory for the reigning EFL Cup champions on Sunday afternoon.
Verdict: Manchester City to win both halves
Best Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
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