The Dugout Discussion – Aston Villa vs Man City

Sunday’s fixtures kick off with Remi Garde’s first match in charge of struggling Aston Villa. The Frenchman’s opener could hardly provide a sterner test, as Manchester City arrive at Villa Park undefeated in their last four and with 13 goals scored in that spell. In contrast, the hosts start the day propping up the table, having slipped to seven consecutive defeats.

Garde’s new charges are without a clean sheet at home all season and have scored just three goals in the process – fewer than any other side in the league. Those statistics firmly indicate an away win, although City’s record on the road suggests that we shouldn’t presume a landslide – Manuel Pellegrini’s side have mustered just seven goals in five road trips.

Certainly, those holding City defenders will be optimistic. Villa rank bottom for shots on target (eight) over the last four Gameweeks, engendering the worst shot accuracy (17.8%) in the league. Although Manuel Pellegrini’s men have managed just one clean sheet in the previous four, they posted impressive underlying statistics on the defensive front, placing second bottom for shots inside the box conceded (13) and big chances conceded (three).