If the Premier League ended now, last season’s champion Manchester City would barely squeeze into a Champions League spot (next season, England is guaranteed five representatives), while Champions League quarterfinalist Aston Villa would have to settle for a spot in the Conference League. However, five rounds remain, and the battle for Champions League spots is heating up. Nottingham, currently third, is only three points ahead of seventh-placed Aston Villa. Tonight’s match at the Etihad won’t resolve the situation, but it’s a key clash in Round 34 for both Manchester City and Aston Villa. For both teams, the remaining matches are essentially five finals—every point is gold.Pep Guardiola says Man City’s Premier League game against Aston Villa on Tuesday is “a final”. pic.twitter.com/pv76eMAl9S— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 21, 2025 Since the United Arab Emirates took over the club, the club have increased revenue and the stadium is packed, but the atmosphere is now what it used to be. Pep Guardiola often used his press conferences to call for fans to be louder but ahead of today’s game the fan groups decided to protest. The magnitude of this match will give them enough media visibility. City have frozen season ticket and general admission prices for the first time in a decade but have since announced stricter parameters on attendance to maintain a season ticket for future campaigns. City are set for a meeting with the fan advisory board at the beginning of next month but the fans will still protest today. Luckily for Guardiola and the players, this will be pre-game protest outside the stadium, unlike the next one (against Wolverhampton), which will happen during the game.Guardiola: “We have a seven finals now”Last week, Pep Guardiola admitted he’s worried that missing out on the Champions League could affect potential signings for the club. There’s a sense of mobilization in the blue half of Manchester. Ahead of the crucial clash with Villa, the trophy-laden manager called on fans to create a thunderous atmosphere in the remaining five Premier League matches. When asked whether the match against Villa is like a cup final, Guardiola responded affirmatively:“Absolutely. After Villa, it’ll be a final against Wolves, then Southampton… Villa is a Champions League contender, and when you see how they played against my friend Luis Enrique and PSG… I was truly impressed. Sometimes we’re slow, sometimes we don’t play well, but we desperately need support from the stands, to help us push through the finish. We need noise. This is a final for us” said the Spaniard.🔵 Manchester City fans boycotted the first 9 minutes of tonight’s game to protest against the club’s ticketing policy. 🎫 pic.twitter.com/ynRx0LtMGn— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 2, 2025 Guardiola won’t be able to count on star striker Erling Haaland. Also out are Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, defenders Nathan Ake and John Stones, as well as Rodri, who is out for the rest of the season. Emery, on the other hand, has a full squad available for the Etihad clash. Villa won the reverse fixture 2–1 earlier this season, with goals from Colombian Jhon Duran (now at Saudi club Al-Nassr since January) and Morgan Rogers. Phil Foden scored late to reduce the deficit. City has won three of their last four home matches, following a loss to Liverpool at the end of February (0–2).PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 34Tuesday22:00: (1.85) Man.City (4.00) Aston Villa (4.20)Wednesday22:00: (1.42) Arsenal (4.40) Crystal Palace (8.00)Saturday14:30: (1.63) Chelsea (3.80) Everton (5.70)17:00: (1.67) Brighton (4.20) West Ham (5.00)17:00: (1.20) Newcastle (6.75) Ipswich (14.0)17:00: (5.00) Southampton (4.20) Fulham (1.65)17:00: (1.62) Wolverhampton (3.80) Leicester (5.80)SundaySun 15:00: (1.70) Bournemouth (4.20) Man.Utd. (4.70)Sun 17:30: (1.30) Liverpool (5.90) Tottenham (9.00)***odds are subject to change***
