Aston Villa welcome Manchester City to Villa Park in what is sure to be a thrilling FA Cup fourth round encounter.
There’s no question that Villa’s season is currently in utter shambles and the Villains a require nothing short of a miracle get out of their slump – but if things continue to go downhill for Villa they face the risk of getting relegated and even worse; fading into obscurity like many before them have done.
They are currently rock bottom of the Premier League with just 13 points from the 23 games already played.
Things aren’t looking good for them in the Premier League, but that doesn’t mean they have to carry their woes with them to the FA Cup.
The FA Cup has proven to be somewhat of a level playing field for the relatively bigger sides, and the small sides with a large number of upsets happening at an alarming rate.
Villa could boost their morale with an Unlikely win against City on Saturday although defeating City seems to be an impossible task for Aston Villa.
City progressed to the final of the Capital One Cup following a mid-week win over Everton, which will serve as a huge morale booster going into this game.
City are the clear favorites to win this one although we could witness a brilliant display of the Magic of the FA Cup, which could see Villa steal the win at Villa Park.
Team News
Aston Villa defender Jores Okore believes that a win against Manchester City could prove to be a stepping stone in their fight for Premier League survival.
Remi Garde is expected to name a strong side (by Villa’s standards) to face Manchester City on Saturday as they’re keen on salvaging what they can from the FA Cup tie.
City, on the other hand, are not expected to feature regular shatters as Manuel Pellegrini might opt to give fringe players a chance to play.
The likes of Sergio Aguero and Joe Hart are not expected to be involved in the game – instead, Wilfred Bony and Willy Caballero will make a cameo.
Predicted Lineups
Man City possible starting lineup: Caballero; Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Toure, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling; Bony.
Villa possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Bacuna, Richards, Lescott, Cissokho; Gueye, Westwood, Veretout; Gil, Ayew; Kozak.
