Guardiola remains calm: no winter transfer for Manchester City!

Guardiola remains calm: no winter transfer for Manchester City!

A football thriller is imminent! On Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (GMT), the legendary Villa Park in Birmingham will be the setting for a highly expected duel between Aston Villa and Manchester City. The two teams who stay behind their expectations this season are under pressure to find their shape and to inspire fans.

Manchester City, who won the Premier League four times in a row, are fighting with a crisis this season. Just a victory from the last eleven games in all competitions - this is a balance that makes even the most loyal fans crazy! Pep Guardiola, the master coach, has made it clear that he will not sign new players in January. "I want my players back," emphasizes Guardiola, who hopes for the return of injured stars to pull the rudder around.

The misery at City

The situation at City has further tightened: Defense player Ruben Dias will be up to four weeks due to a muscle injury. Guardiola said that slides injured himself against Manchester United during the defeat. "He wanted to keep playing, but now he is hurt," said the Spanish coach. Rodri also remains a long -term failure, and goalkeeper Everson is questionable. The list of injured players is getting longer and increases Guardiola enormously.

The last games were a real nightmare for the cityzens: five defeats in a row, followed by a win and three other bankruptcies. Guardiola admits that this phase is "difficult to endure", even for a coach in his class. "If you fall six times, you have to get up seven times," he says, showing his unshakable fighting spirit.

aston villa on the fast lane?

On the other hand, Aston Villa, who sensationally completed in fourth place last season and were able to qualify for the Champions League. But this season is challenging. After a defeat against Nottingham Forest on December 16, where they missed their chance to fourth place, they are now in seventh place. However, a victory against City could catapult her to fifth place - a real motivation boost!

Unai Emery, the coach of the villains, is optimistic despite the setbacks. "It will be a very hard and exciting game for us," he says. The support of the fans in Villa Park will be crucial to heal the wounds of the last defeat. Emery asks his players to give everything: "We are here to get better and accept everything we do."

The balance between the two teams speaks for City, which have won 81 of the 182 encounters. But Villa has proven last season that they can make life difficult for City when they celebrated a 1-0 win in December. The anticipation of this duel could not be greater!

The lineups are not yet final, but Villa can count on Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey, while City hopes for the return of John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Manuel Akanji. The tension increases - who will leave the pitch as the winner? The answer is on Saturday!