This City, with their strong desire to win, must have been disappointed not to get all three points against Arsenal on Sunday.
Although City had a good game, especially in the first half, they didn't create many attacking chances, so a harmonious finish was a fair result. They will be looking to win and bounce back strongly in this game against Villa and desperately need to score to maintain the title.
Arsenal and Liverpool are at home to Luton and Saffy United respectively this midweek, and I believe the chances of getting all 3 points are high. On the other hand, Man City have a tricky task ahead of them as they face a very good Aston Villa side. If they lose points, they could fall 4-6 points behind the other two title contenders. While this gap has been familiar to City in recent years, Liverpool and Arsenal have more experience in handling these games on the road to the outright title, as there are only a few Premier League games left to learn from the lessons of the past. If I were in Godiona's shoes, I certainly wouldn't want to be too far behind to catch the top two on points.
In a rare occasion, Man City only hit the goal frame once against Arsenal, and the rest of the time the offense was very flat. A lot of people blame Aynin Xalant for the lack of offense, but I just think Arsenal's very good defensive performance and discipline undermined City's wishful thinking, but City's attacking players couldn't keep up with them. As good a player as Kovacs is, his presence meant depriving City of the extra attacking players they usually have. I think the fact that the gaffer has put Lodi Kasjandi on the pitch alongside Gowasi shows his respect and fear for Arsenal. To add to the attacking threat, I fully expect him to bring something new to this game and to see Shelly Medjugorje and Kiari back in the regular lineup.
However, today's opponents Villa are not a lightweight. They are undefeated in their last three games, and with probably their best manager of the season under Emery, they are pointing to the Europa League next year.
Villa beat Manchester City at home in the opening round, so they know they are capable of hurting their opponents.
It remains to be seen whether it will be a tough journey or a happy one for Emery. At the moment, Villa are in a favorable position in the league. With only a few games left, they are usually not the active side, so everything is strange for them. Also, they are in the last 8 of the UEFA Europa League at the same time and will meet another of my old hosts, Lille.
Personally, I don't think Villa's squad can rotate players as well as the big teams, so he will have to be very careful in managing the core of the team's key players such as Oni Quiggins, John McGuinness, Moussa Dayabi and Duglas Reyes. Had any of these players been lost due to overwork, it would have been disastrous for those who vowed to make the top four. I think Emery and the club are so desperate for a UEFA Europa League spot that they will prioritize their focus on the league, making them a dangerous team in the Premier League. For Villa, they are capable of winning away games, and this season they are second only to Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in terms of away points.
However, I think whenever people have doubts and slight pressure on City, they tend to fight to prove us wrong, which makes people feel stupid because they don't believe in them. I believe that City can bounce back in time to win this game, and Ennincharlant can get a morale boost and avenge a home defeat.
