Stones and Foden return for Villa title decider | OneFootball

John Stones and Phil Foden return to the starting line-up as Pep Guardiola makes two changes for Manchester City’s pivotal final Premier League game of the season at home to Aston Villa.

England centre half Stones returns for his first game since being forced off with a muscular injury in last month’s Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Real Madrid.

The other change from the side that drew 2-2 away at West Ham last weekend sees Foden return to the starting eleven.

Oleks Zinchenko and Jack Grealish revert to the bench from the side that began at the London Stadium.

Kyle Walker is also named on the bench as he returns to the matchday squad for the first time since picking up an ankle knock in our Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid earlier this month.

And Club captain Fernandinho retains his place in the starting line-up for what will be his final game for City after nine magnificent years.

Teams

CITY: Ederson, Stones, Laporte, Fernandinho, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Jesus, MahrezSubs: Carson, Walker, Ake, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Grealish, Sterling, Palmer, McAtee

ASTON VILLA: Olsen, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, Ramsey, Luiz, McGinn, Buendia, Watkins, Coutinho.Subs: Sinisalo, Sanson, Traore, Young, Nakamba, Ings, Chukwuemeka, Chrisene, Iroegbunam.

WATCH: City v Aston Villa: The final step

Formation

City again look set to line up in our familiar 4-3-3 formation for this afternoon’s final game of an eventual 2021/22 season.

With Ederson taking up position in goal, the Brazilian looks likely to be protected by a back four of Stones, Fernandinho, Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo.

Rodrigo is excpected to be deployed as the holding midfielder with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne also stationed in the engine room.

Our attacking trio should consist of Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez.

However, such is City’s tactical flexibility there could well be tweaks and variations on that potential approach – as ever, we will know for sure come 4pm!

Title incentive

The mathematics for City on this decisive final day of the season are deliciously simple.

With Pep Guardiola’s side a point ahead of Liverpool, victory over Villa this afternoon would confirm us as Premier League champions once again – regardless of what result Jurgen Klopp’s side achieve at home to Wolves.

Victory would not only ensure City retain our league crown, it would also be an eighth top-flight title in total for the Club.

Furthermore, it would be our fourth Premier League crown in the last five years under the inspired leadership of Guardiola

It would also be our sixth Premier League title, the second most after Manchester United's 13, and their fourth in five seasons.

That would also make the City boss the outright leader in terms of securing English top-flight titles among non-British managers, with Pep going one clear of both Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

No lack of incentive then for City!

WATCH: City v Aston Villa: Top five goals

Key stats

Head-to-head

• Manchester City have won nine of our past 10 Premier League games against Aston Villa, including the last six in a row, and drawing the other. Their last defeat in this fixture came at Villa Park in September 2013.• Villa have lost 11 successive league matches away to City since a 2-0 win in April 2007. It is Villa's longest away losing streak against an opponent in their league history.

Manchester City

• Pep Guardiola has won the title in nine of his previous 12 top-flight seasons as a manager: three times each with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.• City have lost just one of our last 27 Premier League games, while we are unbeaten in 11 since losing 3-2 at home to Spurs in February.• Our only final-day defeat in their last 13 campaigns came at home to Norwich City in 2012-13.• City have triumphed in all five of our final league games of the season under Guardiola by an aggregate score of 20-1.• City can equal the club league record of 22 clean sheets in a single campaign, last set in 1999 in the third tier.• Kevin De Bruyne has scored 13 goals and assisted seven in his last 19 Premier League appearances.

Aston Villa

• Steven Gerrard has lost 11 of his 26 Premier League fixtures as Aston Villa manager, equalling his total number of defeats in 118 league games in charge of Rangers• Aston Villa have won just one of their 21 Premier League away games against the league leaders (D3, L17), beating Leeds United 2-1 in January 2000.• They are winless in their last 16 matches versus the Premier League leaders, losing the previous seven by an aggregate score of 21-1.• Villa could win their final-day game in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1998, following a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in 2020-21.• However, they have triumphed in just one of their previous 15 final-day away fixtures in the Premier League, a 3-1 win at Chelsea in 2002.• Philippe Coutinho has failed to score or assist in any of his last 10 Premier League appearances, after recording seven goal involvements in his first eight games for Villa.• Ollie Watkins has scored in all three Premier League appearances versus the reigning champions, netting five goals in total.