Our picks

Aston Villa vs Manchester City: 2020 Carabao Cup final – match preview and predicted starting XIs

Aston Villa vs Manchester City

Date: 01/03/2020

K/O: 16:30 

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Referee: Lee Mason

TV: Sky Sports Main Event

English football’s first title of the season is up for grabs at the weekend as Aston Villa and Manchester City prepare themselves for the Carabao Cup Final. Having beaten an enthusiastic Leicester City side 3-2 on aggregate, quite literally in the dying moments of the game, after annihilating a Liverpool side 5-0 in the quarter-final, Aston Villa have shown with each outing that their presence in the final is no fluke.

Although recent results haven’t gone their way, with losses in each of their previous three matches, manager Dean Smith will be optimistic that his men rise to the occasion. They take on the defending champions, who are looking for a ‘three-peat’ of the Carabao Cup, which would ensure that their name has been on the trophy for four of the previous five seasons. Morale will be high amongst the Sky Blues as they enter this match on the back of one of the greatest results in the club’s history: beating 13-time Champions League winners Real Madrid on their own backyard.

However, Guardiola’s men are aware that their job is by no means done. They narrowly edged out neighbours Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final, despite being much the better side. They will be well aware that poor finishing like in the semis, is not an option.

Although Dean Smith was rewarded with a fresh four-year contract back in November 2019, the Villains’ trajectory has taken an unwelcome turn as they presently sit in 19th spot after yesterday’s results.

Match Facts

This will be the 60th League Cup final and the 57th different match-up of teams in the final – Aston Villa and Manchester City have met four times previously in the competition, with Villa winning three times and City once

Aston Villa are the fourth newly-promoted Premier League side to reach a League Cup, and the first since Wigan Athletic in 2005-06, who lost 4-0 to Man Utd. The other two won the trophy – Leicester City in 1996-97 and Blackburn Rovers in 2001-02

Aston Villa have scored 19 League Cup goals this season, with Manchester City the last team to score 20 in a season back in 2013-14 (22)

Man City have won seven of their last eight matches against Aston Villa in all competitions (D1), by an aggregate scoreline of 26-3

Man City striker Sergio Aguero has scored nine goals in his last five starts against Aston Villa, all in the Premier League, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 win in January

Team News

Aston Villa

Manager Dean Smith said that some of his players had “played their way out” of next Sunday’s Carabao Cup final after defeat at Southampton, a statement suggesting changes may be in store on Sunday.

John McGinn returned to light training in the build-up to the final but he will not be involved, despite his importance, as he hasn’t featured for Villa since suffering a broken ankle before Christmas. Striker Keinan Davis returned to training on Monday from his latest hamstring injury and could be available for selection.

Tom Heaton and Welsey are long term absentees and will miss the remainder of the season. Orjan Nyland has been an essential piece of Villa’s cup campaign and is expected to start against the Citizens, ahead of January signing Pepe Reina.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s side came from behind to claim a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium midweek. Unfortunately, they lost lynchpin Aymeric Laporte in the match and will be without him for at least the next fortnight, realistically a bit more than that.

Raheem Sterling made a lightning-quick return to training following his own injury, but was not risked from the offset against Real Madrid; the reasons for that being tactical or otherwise, we do not know. But he is expected to start against Villa from the get-go.

Sergio Aguero and David Silva, City’s two most experienced players, were benched against the Spanish giants, and hence are expected to make the starting XI for the cup final. Leroy Sane started and completed just over 50 minutes for the U-23s, and will likely not be involved in the match on Sunday.

Although Nicolas Otamendi’s contributory error led to concession against Madrid, I personally expect him to continue in the XI, with John Stones now looking considerably out-of-favour. Claudio Bravo will likely start in goal.

Predicted Starting XIs

Aston Villa (3-4-3): Nyland; Engels, Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Hourihane, Nakamba, Targett; El Ghazi, Samatta, Jack Grealish

Manchester City (4-3-3): Bravo; Cancelo, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Zinchenko; David Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Bernardo Silva, Aguero, Sterling

Score Prediction: Aston Villa 1-3 Manchester City

The last time these sides met, there was a clear gulf in class between them, as Sergio Aguero converted a hattrick and the Citizens hit Villa for six. Regrettably, Villa’s injuries have piled up, and their form is lacklustre. Jack Grealish will need to work the magic that’s seen his name be nominated for the team of the year among the fans on social media. With the lack of first-teamers around him, it is hard to see Villa holding off a rampant City side, who will have been buoyed by their triumph over Real, with the seniors in the squad surely eager to impress the gaffer ahead of the return leg.

I cannot look past a Manchester City ‘three-peat’ ahead of Sunday’s cup final. For the neutral’s sake, I hope Aston Villa have an ace up their sleeve, as they did for the fixtures that led them to the final hurdle of the season’s first piece of silverware.

Ayush Verma

20. Student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Manchester City correspondent for 90MAAT

90MAAT News Now

Premier League Table

90MAAT Social Media

ScoopDragon Football News Network

Search The Site