Manchester City vs Aston Villa prediction: team news, lineups, expert analysis
English Premier League
In the 38th round of the English Premier League on May 24, 2026, a match between Manchester City and Aston Villa will take place. It will be Guardiola’s last game as the head coach of the home team.
Manchester City vs Aston Villa: Team news and expert analysis
The Manchester giant lost in the cup final a year ago and finished only third in the EPL. This season, they have shown extremely inconsistent form. On the one hand, they still managed to win a title—having beaten Arsenal in the League Cup final in March. And just a week ago, they secured a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the decisive cup match. On the other hand, they were outclassed by Real Madrid in the Champions League. In the EPL, after catching up to Arteta’s side, they slipped up against Everton. And on Monday, they failed against Bournemouth, allowing their rivals to secure the title early.
The team from Birmingham performed well in last season’s Champions League. However, domestically, despite earning as many points as Newcastle, they lost out on fifth place. As a result, they had to play in the Europa League, where the English side reached the final and claimed a confident 3-0 victory over Freiburg, easily securing the trophy. In the EPL, they peaked at third place, but in the spring they slowed down, clearly focusing on European competitions, knowing that dropping out of the top 5 was unlikely. In the previous round, they secured a crucial win against their neighbours, Liverpool.
The title contender is currently in good form: 2.05 goals scored per match on average and just 0.89 conceded. Watkins and company score 1.46 goals per match and concede slightly less—1.3 on average.
Previous meetings: Manchester City vs Aston Villa
In the last six meetings between these sides, the home team has always come out on top.
It is unlikely that the visitors will want or be able to seriously challenge the hosts’ success. We predict a win for Pep’s men with a -1 goal handicap (odds – 1.60).
Manchester City vs Aston Villa: Key statistics and trends
- Manchester City have won seven of their last nine matches
- 49% of Manchester City’s matches end with both teams scoring, with an average goals total of 2.95 per match
- Aston Villa have lost three times in their last seven matches
- 57% of Aston Villa’s matches end with both teams scoring, and the average total goals per match is 2.76
Manchester City vs Aston Villa: Probable starting lineups
Manchester City plays in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Donnarumma - Aké, Guehi, O’Riley, Nunes - Silva, Reijnders - Doku, Cherki, Semenyo - Haaland. Gvardiol is still not fit to play.
Aston Villa uses a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Martinez - Maatsen, Mings, Konsa, Cash - Tielemans, Lindelöf - Rogers, Barkley, McGinn - Watkins. Kamara and Edward are still recovering.
Follow the English Premier League table and check your team’s form before placing a bet on the next match.
