Premier League Preview: Aston Villa Vs Manchester City
Villa Park will mark Premier League match time, when Aston Villa host Manchester City on January 22, in match week 24.
This is a second leg meeting between the sides, this season, the first leg of which was played on December 28, at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The hosts won that game by a dominant 4-0 margin on the back of a hattrick by Balotelli.
Th win was especially sweet for Man City, as it was conceived in the absence of Tevez, on whom the side has been said to be over-reliant.
On the day, temperamental striker Balotelli was determined to prove conventional wisdom wrong, and he got his first opportunity on 8 minutes off a penalty kick, when he was brought down by Lichaj.
City were creative and full of purpose, going forward, as opposed to an apparently listless Villa, and within 5 minutes of the first goal, they doubled the lead when Lescott scored with a header off a corner kick by Johnson.
Within the first third, City were up, 3-0, when Balotelli scored off the rebound when Friedel parried Silva's attempt to score.
When 10 minutes after the interval, a second penalty ensued after Johnson as fouled by Albrighton, Balotelli completed his hattrick and Mancini's squad appeared to have had enough, and played out the remaining time, without appearing to worry overly about adding to their tally.
Houllier's days at the helm appeared numbered even as the away section of the crowd made their ire against the manager all too apparent after Villa's fifth loss in six games.
Villa missed the solidity of Dunne in their back-line, and on the basis of their showing on the day appeared set for a relegation battle, in coming weeks.
Head to head, Man City have established a 12-4 lead over Villa in their last 20 league meetings, with the remaining 4 games drawn.
Villa have won 4 of 11 games hosted this season while losing 3 and drawing the rest; City have won 6 of 11 away games, while drawing 3 and losing 2.
Villa have won just one of their last 10 league games while drawing 6 and losing 3.
City have won 7 and drawn 2 of their last 10, while losing just the one.
Villa are coming off a draw away at Birmingham, while City beat Wolves 4-3 at home, in match week 23.
On current form, Villa, will have their task cut out stopping a tevez led City attack, on Saturday.
Villa had the following men in their starting eleven against Brimingham: Friedel, Walker, Dunne, Collins, Clark, Albrighton, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Downing, Carew and Agbonlahor.
Bannan and Delfouneso played as substitutes.
City's starting eleven against Wolves comprised Hart, Zabaleta, M Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, De Jong, Barry, Johnson, Y Toure, Tevez and Dzeko.
Silva, Milner and Lescott were used as substitutes.
This is a second leg meeting between the sides, this season, the first leg of which was played on December 28, at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The hosts won that game by a dominant 4-0 margin on the back of a hattrick by Balotelli.
Th win was especially sweet for Man City, as it was conceived in the absence of Tevez, on whom the side has been said to be over-reliant.
On the day, temperamental striker Balotelli was determined to prove conventional wisdom wrong, and he got his first opportunity on 8 minutes off a penalty kick, when he was brought down by Lichaj.
City were creative and full of purpose, going forward, as opposed to an apparently listless Villa, and within 5 minutes of the first goal, they doubled the lead when Lescott scored with a header off a corner kick by Johnson.
Within the first third, City were up, 3-0, when Balotelli scored off the rebound when Friedel parried Silva's attempt to score.
When 10 minutes after the interval, a second penalty ensued after Johnson as fouled by Albrighton, Balotelli completed his hattrick and Mancini's squad appeared to have had enough, and played out the remaining time, without appearing to worry overly about adding to their tally.
Houllier's days at the helm appeared numbered even as the away section of the crowd made their ire against the manager all too apparent after Villa's fifth loss in six games.
Villa missed the solidity of Dunne in their back-line, and on the basis of their showing on the day appeared set for a relegation battle, in coming weeks.
Head to head, Man City have established a 12-4 lead over Villa in their last 20 league meetings, with the remaining 4 games drawn.
Villa have won 4 of 11 games hosted this season while losing 3 and drawing the rest; City have won 6 of 11 away games, while drawing 3 and losing 2.
Villa have won just one of their last 10 league games while drawing 6 and losing 3.
City have won 7 and drawn 2 of their last 10, while losing just the one.
Villa are coming off a draw away at Birmingham, while City beat Wolves 4-3 at home, in match week 23.
On current form, Villa, will have their task cut out stopping a tevez led City attack, on Saturday.
Villa had the following men in their starting eleven against Brimingham: Friedel, Walker, Dunne, Collins, Clark, Albrighton, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Downing, Carew and Agbonlahor.
Bannan and Delfouneso played as substitutes.
City's starting eleven against Wolves comprised Hart, Zabaleta, M Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, De Jong, Barry, Johnson, Y Toure, Tevez and Dzeko.
Silva, Milner and Lescott were used as substitutes.
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