Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips: Title within City’s grasp for Sunday finale
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Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips and odds
Sunday’s Premier League finale could be another thriller as Manchester City look to get the win they need to retain their title ahead of main challengers Liverpool.
City are just a point ahead of the Reds, who host Wolves, so victory against a Villa side that played out a pulsating 1-1 draw against Burnley on Thursday night will ensure they will be crowned champions for the fourth time in five seasons.
They are just 1/6 to achieve that, but can Steven Gerrard do his old team a favour and get a result which would allow Liverpool to snatch the trophy on the final day of the season? We look at some of the markets and odds in our Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips.
Manchester City v Aston Villa form
City had the chance to win the title with one game remaining last weekend when Riyad Mahrez stepped up five minutes from time to take a penalty at West Ham but Lukasz Fabianski’s save meant the match ended in a 2-2 draw to ensure the title race will go down to the wire.
It could have been a lot worse though as a Jarrod Bowen double gave the Hammers a 2-0 half-time lead, but Jack Grealish pulled one back soon after the restart and Vladimir Coufal headed an inswinging Mahrez free-kick into his own net only for the Algerian to fluff his lines from 12 yards in the closing stages.
Those second-half goals ensured City extended their unbeaten run to 11 games during which the goals have been flying in.
𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦: @JackGrealish
Keeping a close eye on Jack's brilliant performance against West Ham at the London Stadium! ✨#ManCity pic.twitter.com/amV9gFM4L2
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 17, 2022
City have scored 28 goals in their last eight matches and having won 14 of their 18 games at the Etihad, Villa have a tough task in getting a result on Sunday as Liverpool, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Southampton have this season.
The defending champions have kept the joint highest number of clean sheets this season (21) and are 3/4 to win to nil, bearing in mid their defensive problems could be at an end.
Kyle Walker and John Stones were expected to miss the rest of the season along with Ruben Dias, but the duo trained on Thursday to give City a lift. Nathan Ake has been struggling with an ankle problem which meant Fernandinho accompanied Aymeric Laporte in the heart of defence at the London Stadium.
I learned all about life with a ball in my hands 🧤
Aprendí todo de la vida con la pelota en mis manos 🧤 pic.twitter.com/ECxs1c3oeZ
— Emi Martínez (@emimartinezz1) May 17, 2022
The hosts are 21/10 to win and concede, while a win and over 3.5 goals is 7/5 in our Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips given that four of their last five games have ended that way.
When it comes to early goals, City are the masters with 18 of their 96 coming inside the first 15 minutes and they are 27/10 to be ahead inside the first quarter of an hour, although it’s 4/1 they break the deadlock in the first 10 minutes.
They are also 5/4 to win both halves for a fifth time in six outings as one of our Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips.
The shortlist for our @etihad Player of the Season award has been revealed! 🙌
Will it be @DeBruyneKev, @BernardoCSilva or @Mahrez22? 🤔
⬇️ VOTE NOW ⬇️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 16, 2022
Villa have lost just one of their last five matches – a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool – but they have been beaten in every away game against top-five teams this season.
Only two of their games on the road have involved more than three goals this season, which included a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool, so we go 21/20 on City winning and under 3.5 goals.
Manchester City v Aston Villa head to head
City have won the last six Premier League meetings with Villa and are 9/1 to win 2-1 for a third successive time.
The last three games have been competitive, with City scoring exactly twice and they are 19/20 to score between 0-2 goals on Sunday.
Despite this fixture ending 2-0, 3-0 and 4-0 in the last three meetings, the score was goalless at the break on each occasion which can be backed at 5/2, a draw is 7/4 and Draw HT/Man City FT is 14/5.
Manchester City v Aston Villa team news
Dias is out, but Guardiola could welcome back Stones and Walker after they returned to training. The City boss will also be hoping Laporte and Fernandinho came through Sunday’s game unscathed even if they were only half fit.
Villa are without defender Ezri Konsa who sustained a knee injury in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace which will rule him out for 16 weeks, so Calum Chambers is set to deputise.
Leon Bailey has had an injury-disrupted first season at Villa Park and was not on the bench for the draining clash with Burnley, so it remains to be seen whether he recovers from an ankle injury before the campaign ends.
Goalscorer odds
Bernardo Silva has scored in two of his last three appearances against Villa and is 8/1 to break the deadlock or 5/2 to find the net any time.
However, De Bruyne and Mahrez are the 16/5 and 19/20 favourites in the two markets, the Belgian midfielder having scored four at Wolves recently.
All in our hands! pic.twitter.com/SMbFC2KreD
— Kevin De Bruyne (@DeBruyneKev) May 15, 2022
Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden are 7/2, 5/1 and 5/1 to get the ball rolling respectively or 11/10, 17/10 and 17/10 to score in our Manchester City v Aston Villa betting tips.
Ollie Watkins scored against City in a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park and is 14/1 and 9/2 in the two options having netted four goals in his past seven appearances.
Danny Ings spurned a hatful of chances against Palace and is 16/1 and 5/1 to atone for those misses.
Match Info
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: 16:00, Sunday 22nd May
How to watch: Sky Sports
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
