Step by step “Lions” are still approaching the leading five. The team is a strong middle peasant who can take points even from leaders of the championship, so it is not surprising to see Jack Grealish and the company on the ninth line. Aston Villa are in a good mood, as in the last meeting they managed to beat Southampton to a minimum (1:0). It could have ended worse, as in the 93rd minute Danny Ings hit the hosts’ goal, but the referee did not count the goal. Dean Smith’s charges will face a tough opponent in the next round, as West Ham are joining the fight for European competition. Hosts will have a hard time, but they have everything to survive in the home arena Villa Park.
Last time Manchester City lost points in the Premier League on December 15-th, when they failed to break the resistance of West Brom at home (1:1). Since then, Josep Guardiola’s squad has won eight consecutive victories in the championship. The last victim of the Citizens was Sheffield United (1:0), who left the Etihad without scored points thanks to a goal from Gabriel Jesus in the last round. In the league City have won confident victories over West Bromwich (5:0), Aston Villa (2:0), Crystal Palace (4:0) and Brighton (1:0). These successes allowed the Manchester-based club to seize the sole lead in the standings. With the game in hand, the Citizens are ahead of Manchester United by three points. It should be noted the transformation of the defense of the Guardiola team, which did not concede in five rounds in a row. Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Nathan Ake remain outside the game. More soccer bet prediction can be obtained from the link provided.
