Roberto Mancini’s guarantee of fourth place was as explicit as that given by Rafael Benítez at Liverpool but has attracted far less derision. Manchester City’s final two games at Eastlands, against Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, will decide whether the pledge he gave when succeeding Mark Hughes is fulfilled. The men who have most to prove in this fixture – Gareth Barry, who left Villa to pursue Champions League football, and Richard Dunne, who was sold by Mark Hughes – have injuries to overcome. Barry has a hamstring problem while Dunne is nursing a head wound sustained in the Birmingham derby. Tim Rich

Venue City of Manchester Stadium, tomorrow 3pm Tickets Sold out Last season Man City 2 Aston Villa 0 Referee M Clattenburg

This season’s matches 29 Y79, R5, 2.90 cards per game

Odds Man City 10-11 Aston Villa 10-3 Draw 13-5

Manchester City

Subs from Nielsen, Wright-Phillips, Garrido, Boyata, Ibrahim, Santa Cruz, Onuoha, Richards, Sylvinho, Vieira

Doubtful Adebayor (thigh), Bridge (thigh), Barry (hamstring)

Injured Lescott (hamstring, 9 May), Petrov (knee, Jun), Given (shoulder, Aug), Taylor (knee, Aug), M Johnson (knee, Aug) Suspended None

Form guide DLWWWL Disciplinary record Y51 R2

Leading scorer Tevez 22

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, L Young, Beye, Sidwell, Heskey, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Davies

Doubtful None

Injured Harewood (foot, Aug), Delph (knee, Jan), Bouma (ankle, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WWWDWL

Disciplinary record Y56 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 13

Match pointers

• Aston Villa have won only two of the last 14 Premier League meetings with Manchester City

• Villa have won four of their last away league games, however, while City have failed to score in three of their last five league games at City of Manchester Stadium

• Manchester City’s new on-loan goalkeeper, Marton Fulop, has won three of the 13 games he played for Sunderland this season

• Aston Villa’s Stilian Petrov has fired more shots on goal without scoring (30) than any other Premier League player this season

Manchester CityAston VillaPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

A week ago this match would have been passed off as an FA Cup third-place play-off, but then Portsmouth went and did the absurd by beating Tottenham at Wembley with a under-strength side that had just found it had been relegated. It is, then, hard to predict what Avram Grant’s men will do next, but they can at least expect to be tested by an Aston Villa side that refuses to give up on Champions League qualification. Stephen Warnock should start for Villa despite hurting his leg in Wednesday’s draw with Everton. Sachin Nakrani

Venue Fratton Park, Sunday 4pm

Tickets £29-38 (0844 847 1898)

Last season Portsmouth 0 Aston Villa 1

Referee L Probert

This season’s matches 20 Y71, R4, 3.75 cards per game

Odds Portsmouth 5-1 Aston Villa 4-6 Draw 11-4

Portsmouth

Subs from Ashdown, Niemi, Finnan, Kanu, Yebda, Sowah, Ward, Wilson, Diop, Ritchie, Utaka, Dindane, Pack

Doubtful Boateng (ankle), Diop (knee), Mokoena (groin), Rocha (leg), Smith (nose), Yebda (knee)

Injured Belhadj (thigh, 24 Apr), Ben Haim (groin, 1 May), O’Hara (back, 1 May), Hreidarsson (achilles, Oct), Webber (knee, Oct)

Suspended None

Form guide DDLLWL

Disciplinary record Y70 R5

Leading scorers Dindane, Piquionne 5

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, L Young, Beye, Davies, Sidwell, Delph, Heskey, Delfouneso, Albrighton, Salifou, Reo-Coker, Clark

Doubtful Warnock (shin)

Injured Harewood (foot, Aug), Bouma (ankle, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide DWLDDW

Disciplinary record Y53 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 11

Match pointers

• Portsmouth have failed to score in their last three Premier League meetings with Aston Villa

• Villa have kept six clean sheets in their last nine top-flight away matches, though the other three saw them concede a total of 11 goals

• On this day in 1930 Portsmouth lost 2-1 at home to Villa in the old First Division

• Villa have the highest cross completion rate (23.6%) in the division this season

• Portsmouth are the first side to reach the final of the FA Cup and also be relegated since Middlesbrough in 1997

Premier LeaguePortsmouthAston Villaguardian.co.uk