Manchester City vs Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread - Jan 20th - 6.00pm

[Risso]

I think we're in for a twatting, unfortunately. Too long without training, no idea who's OK after Covid and they've won something like 8 in a row including cup games. 3-0.  We'll deal with it and move on.

[SoccerHQ]

Would've been happy playing them about six weeks back.

Less so now. They're on a pretty good run and conceded something ridiculous like three goals since mid November.

And our away record there......if you thought Old Trafford was bad (and we've played well there last two visits and deserved far more than one point) Etihad record is off the scale! Think we've lost every single game since they moved in 2003 bar a win in 06/07 when Barton missed a penalty and they couldn't score any goals that season and also a random league cup win in 12/13. That's it so I don't even want to tot up the defeats.

We also lost there in Maine Road final season and also in 95/96 when they made a Sheffield United type start to the season under Alan Ball.

So after all that......I think we'll lose 3-1. We'll give them a game but unknown is what players aren't fully 100% yet due to covid and you need to be really alive over the 90 minutes to get a result off them so think that may just be beyond us.

Our record there is horrific, regular twattings, even when they were shit.

Didn't we equalise in the 90th minute one year and still lose?

Don't remember that game unless you mean the Sherwood one when we lost 3-2 which is the closest we've come to even getting a point since April 2007, think we equalised around 82nd minute and they scored a minute or two later. We played well that day but Guzan just kicking the ball at Aguero just started his decline.

Can always remember playing them and Distin turning into prime Beckenbauer. And Vassell seemingly scoring half his haul for City against us and it obviously hasn't improved with them collecting world class players for fun in the decade since.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Aguero missed today, due to self isolating. Don't suppose we know if he will be available against us?

Seems to always be injured, but never fail to be back against us.

[The Edge]

City looked devastating against Crystal Palace, De Bruyne especially. But this Villa team is no pushover. We don't know how much the Covid outbreak will affect us yet and we'll find out on Wednesday. But I know Dean & co will have them at it. To compound our task even further this is City's game in hand and victory will put them a point ahead of United and top of the table so even more incentive for them.However my heart's ruling my head here and I'm going for a plucky 2-2 draw. But whatever happens it's great being a Villa fan again and we can focus on the next game where we will beat Newcastle and probably see the end of old PH at St James's.

[darren woolley]

3-1 City

[ktvillan]

Very hard one to call.  Without the COVID I'd give us a good chance of at least a draw.  Depends on how we come back from that but they are on top form so I reckon narrow defeat, 2-1.

[villabear]

We went to TTOD with expectations and came up short, another test to see how far we have come and where we are.
They are far from invincible.

TTOD 🙄

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

TTOS maybe or even TTOP

[Dr Butler]

Man City nil please Villa

UTV
The Doc

[oishiiniku]

They are definitely in good form, but they've had a pretty easy run of fixtures as well. I'm hoping that they are starting to believe their own hype and that we catch them off guard and blitz them on the counter. That's all dependant on how fit everyone is, of course, but Dean Smith looked pretty upbeat in that recent interview, so let's hope we have all the key players fit and raring to go. 2-1 Villa.

[Brazilian Villain]

We went to TTOD with expectations and came up short, another test to see how far we have come and where we are.
They are far from invincible.

TTOD 🙄

The Tip of Delusion (and hopefully Disappointment)

[Perthvillan]

This is the wrong time to be playing these.
At the moment we have no idea who will be available for us.
Even the players who are available may not be up to it.
I think that they will go on to win the league eventually.
They are really starting to put some results together.
We also have a horrendous PL record against them.
Get this one over with and give Newcastle a thrashing on Saturday.

[Pat Mustard]

I wish this and the Newcastle games were the other way around - I'd fancy us to beat Newcastle even if our entire team had not trained for 6 months and spent the entire time on a massive bender in Magaluf.  City away, on the other hand, is just about the most difficult game we could face and having missed a couple of weeks of training (and at the moment not even knowing who might be available) I would rather we had a chance to get at least another game under our belts first.

On the other hand, however, win this and the league title is still in our own hands - 2-1 Villa!

[The Edge]

I wish this and the Newcastle games were the other way around - I'd fancy us to beat Newcastle even if our entire team had not trained for 6 months and spent the entire time on a massive bender in Magaluf.  City away, on the other hand, is just about the most difficult game we could face and having missed a couple of weeks of training (and at the moment not even knowing who might be available) I would rather we had a chance to get at least another game under our belts first.

On the other hand, however, win this and the league title is still in our own hands - 2-1 Villa!

I like it

[Monty]

I think we're in for a twatting, unfortunately. Too long without training, no idea who's OK after Covid and they've won something like 8 in a row including cup games. 3-0.  We'll deal with it and move on.

Yeah, it's all the wrong timings I fear. I'll live with it.