Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.
Joy or sadness, unbridled elation or bitter anguish – there is a clear divide between the emotions in stock for Manchester City as the referee blows the final whistle at the Etihad Stadium on May 22. Manchester City will host Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa in their last game of the season, a match that holds so much importance for The Blues.
City need to win this match outrightly to win the league, but Gerrard and his charges may not be willing to let them have it easy, especially when Liverpool is the team that stands to profit if City fail to win. Philippe Coutinho and Danny Ings are also former Liverpool players, giving the media more to talk about heading into the game. Who will wear the EPL crown?
Riyad Mahrez will be left ruing his hard luck as he was presented with the chance to give City the league on a platter of gold against West Ham – a penalty in the 85th minute. As Lucasz Fabianski saved the penalty kick, the look on Guardiola’s face was easy to read. They had put more pressure on themselves ahead of Matchday 38.
City should have won the league by now, but a string of poor performances meant dropped points, and a resilient Liverpool managed to close the gap to just one point. They will draw hope from their sheer dominance over Villa in recent years, winning all but one of their last ten meetings, with the odd one being a 0-0 draw in 2015. They will look to Kevin de Bruyne, who has been a revelation in recent weeks, for some magic to take them over the line.
Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Kyle Walker are still on the sidelines and may not feature in this must-win match for The Blues due to injuries.
Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa have shone this season, although in a stop-start kind of way. They have been excellent in some matches and roundly poor in others, which explains their 14th position on the table, with 44 points from a possible 114. Two wins in their last five matches and three in their last ten marks a period when Villa lost all their midseason promise.
They will look to do Liverpool a favor by stopping Manchester City from winning, although their recent performances against The Blues suggest otherwise. Indeed, they have lost nine of their last ten meetings with City, winning none and drawing one. But they have shown heart in recent matches, with Danny Ings and Ollie Watson particularly hungry for goals.
Emiliano Martinez, Leon Bailey, Ezri Konsa, and Kourtney Hause may not make the trip to the Etihad Stadium due to injuries.
Manchester City have the upper hand over Aston Villa, and the sportsbooks at Parimatch, Paripesa, and Sportsbet.io have named them favorites to win this fixture and, by extension, the Premier League title. The odds for City to win on all three sportsbooks are 1.13, 1.178, and 1.15, respectively. The odds for an upset (Aston Villa to win) are 23.00, 20.00, and 18.00, respectively, while a draw is placed at 7.90, 8.40, and 8.00 odds, respectively.
City have dominated this tie over the years, and their last loss to Aston Villa came in September 2013. In their last 15 meetings, City have won 13, losing one and drawing another. They also have four straight wins at home, scoring 17 goals. Aston Villa have a decent record away from home, with four wins, one draw, and five losses in their last ten matches, although they lost most of those matches by a one-goal margin. Here are our tips for this fixture:
Manchester City vs. Aston Villa has seen some high-scoring results in recent years, with at least three goals recorded in 12 of their last 15 meetings. They both have a goals-per-game average of 3.2 and 2.8, respectively, which makes a result with over two goals likely to occur. The outcome for over 2.5 goals is available on the Parimatch sportsbook at 1.48 odds.
City will love to start on the front foot, with their possession football unmatched in the division. We expect a goal on both sides of half-time, as Manchester City look to seal their title and Aston Villa attempt to halt their advance. The odds for a goal in both halves are available on the Melbet sportsbook at 1.47 odds.
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