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Aston Villa logo
Premier League | Gameweek 15
Dec 6, 2023 at 8.15pm UK
Villa Park
Manchester City logo

Aston Villa
1 - 0
Man City

Bailey (74')
Watkins (60'), Kamara (87')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Stones (45'), Lewis (53')

Manchester City duo Rodri, Jack Grealish ruled out of Aston Villa clash

Man City duo Rodri, Grealish ruled out of Aston Villa clash
© Reuters
Manchester City duo Rodri and Jack Grealish will miss next Wednesday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa due to suspension.

Manchester City duo Rodri and Jack Grealish will miss next Wednesday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa due to suspension.

The Citizens pair received their fifth yellow cards of the campaign in Sunday's thrilling 3-3 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Rodri was the first of the duo to be cautioned just after the half-hour mark for a cynical foul on Pedro Porro to deny a Spurs counter-attack.

Grealish came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, replacing Jeremy Doku, but he was booked just nine minutes later for needlessly kicking the ball away after a free kick was awarded to Tottenham following a handball.

Both Rodri and Grealish have picked up five yellow cards before City's 19th Premier League game of the season, meaning that they will now serve a one-match suspension for the club's next fixture at Villa Park on Wednesday.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish remonstrates with referee Simon Hooper before being shown a yellow card on December 3, 2023© Reuters

The absences of both Rodri and Grealish comes as a huge blow to the reigning champions as they prepare to face an in-form Villa outfit who have won each of their last 13 Premier League games on home soil.

Rodri has already served a three-match ban this season following his straight red card for violent conduct in a 2-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest in September and, City certainly felt his absence.

Indeed, the Citizens lost all three domestic games without Rodri in the side, with a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United in the EFL Cup third round followed by back-to-back Premier League losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal.

Rodri has established himself as an integral cog in Guardiola's machine in recent years and has been a class act at both ends of the pitch this term, contributing with four goals and six assists in 18 appearances across all competitions.

Grealish, meanwhile, is now unavailable to return to his old stomping ground Villa Park where he spent nine years as an Aston Villa player between 2012 and 2021, before completing his £100m move to Man City.

The attacker scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the six-goal thriller with Spurs, but his strike was ultimately in vain as the visitors rescued a point courtesy of a 90th-minute header from Dejan Kulusevski.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish celebrates scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on December 3, 2023© Reuters

Son Heung-min was on the scoresheet at both ends of the pitch inside the first eight minutes before Phil Foden finished off a superb Man City move to put the hosts 2-1 in front at the break.

Giovani Lo Celso restored parity for Spurs on the 69-minute mark with a sweet left-footed strike, before substitute Grealish looked to have sealed the points for the Citizens with a close-range strike nine minutes from time.

However, Kulusevski had the last laugh, netting his third goal in as many appearances at the Etihad to snatch a point for Tottenham and condemn City to their third successive draw in the Premier League.

There was late referring drama in stoppage time when Simon Hooper controversially blew his whistle for a foul on Erling Haaland after briefly playing advantage, a decision which sparked an angry response from Man City players and fans as it denied Grealish the chance to run clean through on goal.

Manager Pep Guardiola, who decided against making "a Mikel Arteta comment" on the controversial decision, has seen his side slip to third in the Premier League table, one point behind second-placed Liverpool and three adrift of leaders Arsenal; Aston Villa, meanwhile, sit just one point behind the Citizens in fourth spot.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


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