Manchester City v Aston Villa preview: Yaya Toure fit to play
Saturday 5 March 2016 15:03, UK
Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that midfielder Yaya Toure will be fit to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast international missed the midweek defeat at Liverpool with a heel injury, but returns to the squad as City look to get their faltering title challenge back on track.
Aston Villa should make ideal opposition for City - they have lost their last three games in a row, conceding 10 goals in the process and scoring twice.
Remi Garde's side held them to a goalless draw at Villa Park in his first game in charge in November, but they were thumped 4-0 in the FA Cup when the two sides met in January.
City are looking over their shoulders at Manchester United as they aim to at least hold on to fourth, while Villa could be 11 points adrift of safety by the end of the weekend.
Team news
With Toure returning, City have no fresh injury concerns, leaving just long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne, Samir Nasri and Fabian Delph on the sidelines.
Aston Villa have no new injury worries either. Carlos Sanchez (hamstring), Jack Grealish (ankle), Libor Kozak (ankle), Adama Traore (foot) and Jordan Amavi (knee) are all sidelined for the bottom side.
Rudy Gestede could start after coming off the bench to score in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat to Everton but Charles N'Zogbia remains out of boss Remi Garde's plans despite being fit.
Opta stats
Sergio Aguero has scored four goals in his last three Premier League matches against Aston Villa.
However, Aguero has scored just one goal in eight Premier League appearances in the month of March, despite playing 606 minutes.
Manchester City have won seven and lost just one of the last nine Premier League games against Villa.
Villa have failed to score in six of the last eight Premier League games against City.
If the league had started on the weekend of November 7/8, when Remi Garde first took charge in a 0-0 draw v City, Villa would still be bottom and City would be 12th.
City haven't lost three Premier League home games in a row since March 2007 and haven't gone three home games without a win since November 2010.
Villa have taken just three points from a possible 39 in their last 13 Premier League away games.
The Villans have scored just five goals in the last 10 Premier League road trips.
Defeat in this match would be a 14th consecutive winless game away from home for Villa in the Premier League, one short of their record in the competition set in December 2003 (15).
Aston Villa have scored with just 10 per cent of their shots this season, the lowest percentage in the top flight.
Merson's prediction
Man City have got to bounce back as they were an absolute joke against Liverpool - they are playing for the top four and it is unbelievable how they capitulated. They should not be getting beaten 3-0 with the amount of talent they have got on the pitch.
So I expect them to bounce back and if they could have played anyone on Saturday, then it would have been Villa. City will roll them over.
If I am being honest, with their squad City should walk the league. Put it this way - they should not be this many points behind Leicester.
Paul predicts: 4-0 (Sky Bet Odds 9/1)
Betting
Manchester City fell way below expectations when beaten 3-0 at Anfield in midweek but the Capital One Cup winners are 1/5 favourites to get back on track with a home win over struggling Aston Villa. Sky Sports pundits Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson are in agreement that Aguero can set City on their way to victory and he's 9/4 to net first, with Gestede and Jordan Ayew, both 12/1, considered most likely for the away side.
