Aston Villa Vs Manchester City
Sunday, 1st March 2020 – 16:30 Kick-Off
EFL Cup (English League Cup)
Pick: Man City & Both Teams To Score
Odds: 15/8
Bookmaker: Coral
(All betting odds displayed were correct at time of writing: 26th February 2020 at 23:00 GMT)
Preview: The first major trophy in England is up for grabs this Sunday as the last two remaining teams in the EFL Cup clash at Wembley. It has an unmistakably mismatch look to it, though, with Aston Villa out to cause a big upset against a Manchester City team seeking to retain their title.
EFL Cup Final Betting at 22Bet
Table of Contents
Aston Villa Preview – Can Grealish inspire Villa upset?
Route to Final: Crewe (1-6), Brighton (1-3), Wolves (2-1), Liverpool (5-0), Leicester (3-2 agg)
Success has been limited in recent times but, as surprising as it is, there are only two clubs with more EFL Cup Final victories (5) than Aston Villa. The last of those dates back to 1996, though, while it has been a decade since their last appearance in a final when losing 2-1 to the other club from Manchester, Man Utd. So while there will be the obvious debate regarding whether this team has the requisite quality to come out on top on Sunday, their pedigree in the competition cannot possibly be disputed.
Furthermore, nobody could claim this team have had it easy up until now. Villa overcame four Premier League sides on their way to Wembley, which included a 3-2 aggregate victory over high-flying Leicester City in the semi-final. Manager Dean Smith therefore deserves huge credit for the journey so far. His players defended manfully during both legs of the semi, but, crucially, took their chances when they arrived – something that will likely need to be replicated here, too.
Finals are often where the very best individuals shine and perhaps this is the game in which club captain Jack Grealish produces his own career-defining performance. It seems almost certainly his last final for Villa, with rumours abound regarding a potential move in the summer. The 24-year-old has been head and shoulders above all his team-mates during 2019-20, contributing more league assists (6) and even goals (7) than anyone at the club. The talented 24-year-old is 6/1 in Betfair’s To Score Anytime market.
Manchester City Preview – Citizens in buoyant mood following Madrid exploits?
Route to Final: Preston (0-3), Southampton (3-1), Oxford (1-3), Man Utd (3-2 agg)
Last season Manchester City completed a clean sweep of honours by winning all three major trophies. It begun in this very competition, holding their nerve to beat Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out and thus retain the EFL Cup for a second successive term. Another victory in Sunday’s final, in a match-up they are overwhelmingly strong favourites to dominate, would make them the first club since Liverpool in the early 1980’s to lift the trophy in three consecutive campaigns.
So there is no shortage of incentive. Nor are they likely to be suffering from any lack of momentum or self-belief, especially not after Wednesday’s bold showing in Madrid as Pep Guardiola’s shrewd tactics helped in masterminding a 2-1 first-leg victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League. The one downside being the despairing sight of Aymeric Laporte hobbling off in the first half with a bad knock. It would therefore come as a surprise were the defender to feature in some capacity here.
Raheem Sterling was back in the fold, however, and it was his fresh legs from the bench which earned City the decisive penalty for the second goal in midweek. Sergio Aguero was also among the substitutes, meaning both should be unleashed from the start on Sunday. A frightening prospect perhaps. Man City have already met their final opponents twice in the league this season, winning both encounters by a combined score of 9-1.
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Aston Villa Vs Manchester City Betting Advice
There is a chasm separating these two teams in the current standings for the Premier League, with second placed Man City amassing 32 more points than Aston Villa down in 17th, whose main priority this season remains avoiding relegation. If that is not nearly damning enough, Villa were completely outclassed and overawed in both league meetings earlier in the season, losing 3-0 at The Etihad and 6-1 at Villa Park.
Aston Villa Vs Manchester City – Key Facts
- Prior to last week’s 2-0 loss at Southampton – a third straight defeat – there had been nine consecutive games in which both teams had scored involving Aston Villa.
- Conversely, Man City won for the third match in a row on Wednesday, with the 2-1 scoreline representing their first both teams to score contest in seven competitive games.
- Manchester City have won the previous four head-to-head encounters by an aggregate of 17-1, with wins of 3-0 and 6-1 over The Villains during this season’s league campaign.
Aston Villa could benefit from a full week of preparation, however, the stunning result in Madrid on Wednesday can only have a positive effect on the mood inside the Man City camp. Even if one or two players are feeling the strain of that performance, Pep Guardiola has the deepest squad around to freshen it up should he so please. So City should chalk up another straightforward win here, although there has been a lack of clean sheets this season.
Best Betting Odds for Aston Villa Vs Manchester City
Aston Villa – 18/1 (Betfair)
Draw – 7/1 (WilliamHill)
Manchester City – 1/6 (Betway)
