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Manchester City are looking for some relief amid a terrible run of results when they visit Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side sank further into crisis last weekend in his wake An embarrassing late defeat against local rivals Manchester UnitedTheir eighth defeat in their last 11 matches and the result leaves them nine points clear of league leaders Liverpool with one more game to play.
The trip to Villa Park will certainly put Man City’s strength of determination into a fixture they lost last season. Guardiola has several Defensive injuries to consider and he will have to go back to basics with his strategic instructions this weekend.
Here’s how Man City Could line up in the Midlands.
GK: Ederson – Ederson’s return to the team after several matches on the bench has seen two straight defeats to Juventus and Man United. A misfiring defense against the Brazilian has exposed.
RB: Rico Lewis – After the young and versatile full-back was missing for the Manchester derby Seeing red ahead of the weekend against Crystal Palace. He has been used in a series of weird and wonderful roles this season but a return to a more conservative right-back role could be on the cards.
CB: John Stones – Stones’ two most recent outings were both at Man City Defeated against Tottenham Hotspur But injuries to Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake mean the Englishman could be dropped back into the starting XI at Villa Park.
CB: Ruben Dias – Even the cocky and usually regal Dias has not been able to solve Man City’s defensive issues. Currently the Portuguese is the best in the backline and without him things could have been worse.
LB: Josko Guardiol Guardiola’s form has been far below his best in recent months and mistakes have been frequent. Despite not having any traditional senior left-backs in-house, Guardiola’s place in the team is secure for now. At least he’s a goal threat at the other end.
DM: Ilkay Gundogan – The German’s decline has been plain to see since his return to the Etihad Stadium but in fairness to the aging midfielder, he has been asked to fill Rodri’s huge 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 the much needed protective cover in the engine room.
RW: Bernardo Silva – The Portuguese has been one of Man City’s sub-par superstars, failing to reach his usual high standards. He will be asked to do a lot of work on both sides against high intensity Villa side
AM: Kevin De Bruyne – De Bruyne shone in Man City’s only win in the last 11 against Nottingham Forest but has been relatively quiet since then. rule Premier League The champions desperately need his magic on Saturday.
LW: Jeremy Docu – Often seen as both unstoppable and inept at the same time, Doku can come off as a fragile battering ram on Saturday. He should run relentlessly to the left of the villa.
ST: Erling Haaland – The Norwegian had just 21 touches during the Manchester derby, three more than he had against him. Juventus In the Champions League. If he’s not involved, he’ll just have to score, but Man City’s general lethargy means that hasn’t happened often in recent weeks.
