Aston Villa will welcome Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday evening as they focus on grinding out a result at home. The Villans suffered a 2-1 loss away at Arsenal in midweek, so Steven Gerrard would be keen on getting a good response from his players against the reigning champions of the Premier League this weekend.
The West Midlands club could set themselves up in a 4-3-1-2 formation and will make one tweak to their starting XI for this game. Douglas Luiz will probably get a chance to play from the start while Jacob Ramsey drops to the bench.
4-3-1-2 Aston Villa Predicted Lineup To Face Manchester City
Defence
Emiliano Martinez will function in goal for the Villans after conceding a couple of goals versus the Gunners in midweek. Ezri Konsa could continue to play alongside Tyrone Mings at the heart of Gerrard’s defence as they try to keep the Man City attackers frustrated throughout the 90 minutes.
Matt Cash will continue to operate at right-back while Lucas Digne hopes to prove his worth on the other flank as the left-back. Both of them need to be at the top of their game if they are to stop the visitors from wreaking havoc out on the wide areas.
Diego Carlos remains Gerrard’s only notable absentee for this game. However, Callum Chambers and Ashley Young will be available for selection on the bench as they offer cover for the defensive positions.
Midfield
Aston Villa could lineup with a midfield comprised of Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn. All three of them will be instructed to work hard to stop Man City from creating too many chances during the 90 minutes.
Emiliano Buendia will play just ahead of them as he gets the license to express himself in the opposition half. The Argentine playmaker will carry most of the creative burden for the Villans in the final third.
Jacob Ramsey will have to settle for a place on the bench but might come on to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if needed.
Attack
Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey could get a chance to lead the line for the Midlands club up top. Both Aston Villa forwards would have to work together collectively to cause a few headaches for Pep Guardiola’s defenders this Saturday evening.
Gerrard might use Danny Ings off the bench if his players are trailing the game in the latter stages.
