-0.14 points a game is the venue form gap, in Manchester City's favour: Aston Villa takes 1.77 a game at home over the last two seasons, Manchester City 1.91 away.
Aston Villa: 45 league matches in the bank, 7 from this season and the rest from last season. Manchester City: 45 league matches in the bank, 7 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step two is HOME AND AWAY FORM -- the home side judged on its home record, the away side on its away record, because those are the records that will be on the pitch. The last five reach back into last season where this season is too young to answer, and say so.
The two sides
Aston Villa -- at home
Its record at the relevant venue
This season at home: won 0, drew 1, lost 2 of 3, scoring 3 and conceding 5. Last season at home: won 12, drew 2, lost 5 of 19, scoring 32 and conceding 22 -- 2.00 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: beat Newcastle United 1-0 away; drew with Brentford 2-2 at home; beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 away; lost to Nottingham Forest 1-2 at home; drew with Hull City 0-0 away.
The dugout
Every one of the 45 banked matches with a manager recorded was taken by Unai Emery Etxegoien. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Manchester City -- away
Its record at the relevant venue
This season away: won 3, drew 0, lost 0 of 3, scoring 8 and conceding 1. Last season away: won 9, drew 6, lost 4 of 19, scoring 32 and conceding 21 -- 1.74 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: beat Ipswich Town 3-2 at home; beat Liverpool 3-0 away; beat Sunderland 5-3 at home; beat Manchester United 1-0 away; beat Coventry City 1-0 at home.
The dugout
The banked record belongs to the club, not one man: 3 different managers took its 45 matches with one recorded (37, 7, 1 apiece), most recently Enzo Maresca with 7. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Built 03:24 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.