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Manchester City look for respite amid a poor run of results when they visit Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side sank further into crisis last weekend following their miserable late defeat to local rivals Manchester United, an eighth defeat in their last 11 games and a result that leaves them nine points behind the league leaders. the league, Liverpool, after having played one more game.
The trip to Villa Park will no doubt test Manchester City’s resolve in a game they lost last season. Guardiola has several defensive injuries to consider and may have to go back to basics with his tactical instructions this weekend.
Here’s how Man City could line up in the Midlands.
Goalkeeper: Ederson – Ederson’s return to the team after several games on the bench resulted in two consecutive defeats against Juventus and Man Utd. The Brazilian has been exposed by the failed defense in front of him.
RB: Rico Lewis – The young and versatile full-back was not in the Manchester derby after seeing red the previous weekend against Crystal Palace. He has been used in a variety of weird and wonderful roles this season, but a return to a more orthodox right-back role may be on the cards.
CB: John Piedras – Stones’ two most recent outings were Man City defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, but injuries to Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake mean the Englishman could return to the starting XI at Villa Park.
CB: Rubén Días – Even the defiant and generally imperious Dias has been unable to solve Manchester City’s defensive problems. The Portuguese is the best of a defense that is currently in poor condition and things could have been much worse without him.
LB: Josko Gvardiol Gvardiol’s form over the last month has been well below his best and errors have been too frequent. However, without traditional left-backs, Gvardiol’s place in the team is secure for now. At least he’s a goal threat at the other end.
DM: Ilkay Gündogan – The German’s decline has been evident since his return to the Etihad Stadium, but to be fair to the aging midfielder, he has been asked to fill Rodri’s gigantic shoes.
DM: Mateo Kovacic – Kovacic made his first appearance since the November international break against Man Utd and the Croatian’s return will be welcomed with open arms by Guardiola. It should provide much-needed defensive cover in the engine room.
OR: Bernardo Silva – The Portuguese is one of Manchester City’s shoddy superstars and fails to live up to his usual high standards. He will be asked to work hard in both halves against a high-intensity Villa team.
AM: Kevin De Bruyne – De Bruyne shone in Man City’s only win in their last 11 games against Nottingham Forest, but has been relatively quiet since. The reigning Premier League champions desperately need his magic on Saturday.
LB: Jeremy Doku – Often looking unstoppable and lanky at the same time, Doku can become a diminutive battering ram on Saturday. He should run relentlessly down Villa’s left side.
ST: Erling Haaland – The Norwegian only had 21 touches during the Manchester derby, three more than he had against Juventus in the Champions League. If he’s not involved, he simply has to be scoring, but Manchester City’s general lethargy means that hasn’t happened too often in recent weeks.
