Aston Villa-Manchester City Betting Preview: Expect Yaya Toure to lead the way in high-scoring encounter
Mar 4, 2013 9:30:00 AM
The title may be a distant hope for Roberto Mancini's men, but our expert expects their Ivorian midfielder to ensure that they do not show the hosts any mercy at Villa Park
With Manchester City now trailing their neighbours by a daunting 15 points at the top of the table, the holders will surely have to win every single one of their remaining 11 games in order to stand any chance of retaining their title.Monday night’s opponents Aston Villa may have slightly more room for manoeuvre, as only goal difference currently keeps them in the relegation zone, but a win for them would provide a significant boost in their bid to beat the drop.
The hosts picked up their first Premier League home win in six against West Ham in their last game at Villa Park, but are heavy 6/1 (7.00) underdogs with Paddy Power to make it two in a row this evening.Roberto Mancini’s side can afford no more slip ups after failing to win at Southampton, QPR and Sunderland in their last five Premier League away trips, and are clear favourites at 8/15 (1.53) to emerge victorious in Birmingham.
There have been no draws in any of the last six encounters between this pair, but you can get odds of 14/5 (3.80) if you see nothing separating them tonight.
With six goals in their last three, Paul Lambert’s men have not been struggling so much going forward, but at the back.
Although they have hit the back of the net in each of the last seven, The Villans have failed to keep a single clean sheet in 16 games, and will surely struggle to contain a team that thrashed them 5-0 in the reverse fixture.
A bet on over 2.5 goals would have paid out in each of the hosts’ last seven games, and looks safe at 4/6 (1.67) considering the attacking capabilities of their opponents.There was a palpable sense of determination among the City players during last weekend’s important win over Chelsea, exemplified by none better than Yaya Toure.
The Ivorian seems to be desperate to make up for the time he lost while away on Africa Cup of Nations duty in January, and has now scored in each of the last two.
With licence to roam forward into the space created by the dazzling Sergio Aguero, the midfielder is sure to have a chance to add to his goal tally, and provides excellent value at 5/2 (3.50) to score anytime.
 |
BET |
OF THE |
DAY |
| BEST BET |
VALUE BET |
| Over 2.5 goals at 4/6 (1.67) with Paddy Power |
Yaya Toure to score anytime at 5/2 (3.50) with Paddy Power |
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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.
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