Villa to deepen Man City's myriad woes
The clouds are gathering at the Etihad in a way that hasn't been the case for quite some time. Coupled with the off-colour performance and meek defeat in the Tottenham Hotspur game, the Premier League are charging Manchester City with a huge number of breaches arising from many different seasons of accounting. Though any punishment might be some way down the track, the possibility is already undermining the club from every angle. Aston Villa come to Eastlands on Sunday, and might just add to their problems. Read our preview here:
Ailing Erling?
One of the on-field quandaries facing the reigning champions currently is that although Erling Haaland is way out in front in the race for the Golden Boot, his inclusion in the XI does mean the intricate approach play up to the final third is often different as a result. Indeed, in recent weeks, his teammates seem to be bypassing him altogether, with Riyad Mahrez often the recipient of the last ball instead. Phil Foden will battle it out with Jack Grealish for a spot on the opposite flank, and whilst Pep Guardiola is unlikely to change the quick, short passing style from Ederson onwards, he needs to keep in mind that mistakes keep occurring that could easily be avoided when the opposition press high in those situations.
Doug funny
Unai Emery will be hoping lessons are quickly learned from the 4-2 defeat at home to Leicester City last time out, a game in which it initially looked like his side were cruising to victory. He will persist with his tried and tested two banks of four, with the strikers constantly trying to push the home side backwards. Douglas Luiz has been the standout performer in the engine room, and the increased level of responsibility has been fully embraced by the Brazilian box-to-box player. Bertrand Traoré, who was recalled early from his loan spell at İstanbul Başakşehir, could make the bench.
Betting tip
Though they might not win the game, Aston Villa are more than capable of exploiting some of Man City's vulnerabilities. bet365 have odds of 5.60 for the visitors to get more than one goal.
