Liverpool will host Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, looking to continue their impressive run of form with a positive performance at home.
Liverpool have picked up eight wins from ten Premier League matches, and they are coming into the game against Aston Villa on the back of three consecutive wins. The home team will be full of confidence here, and they will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have lost their last three matches in all competitions, and they will be desperate to bounce back. The Villans are chasing UEFA Champions League qualification this season, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points.
It will be difficult for them to grind out a positive result away from home against an in-form Liverpool side, but they certainly have the quality to pull off an upset here. It will be interesting to see if the players can step up and deliver for the West Midlands club.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without Harvey Elliott because of a foot injury. Alisson Becker has a hamstring injury, Federico Chiesa will miss out with a knock, and Diogo Jota has an abdominal injury.
Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Aston Villa, with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk in the central defensive partnership.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will add defensive cover and control to the side. Dominik Szoboszlai will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. He will take up the no. 10 role and look to link up with the attackers as well.
Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will add pace, flair and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead the line for Liverpool against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez
Aston Villa
Ross Barkley and Matty Cash will miss out with knocks here. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Liverpool, with Emiliano Martinez an automatic pick between the sticks for the away side.
Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and hit Liverpool on the break. Diego Carlos will start alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit. Amadou Onana will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side as the defensive midfielder here. Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans will look to control the tempo of the game from the deep.
Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey will add pace, flair and creativity to the side from the wide areas. Morgan Rogers will start as the attacking midfielder behind Ollie Watkins, who will spearhead the Aston Villa attack against Liverpool.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in 12 of their last 14 matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have failed to win their last four matches in all competitions.
- Liverpool have picked up five wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian has been in phenomenal form this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. The 32-year-old scored the match-winning goal in the Premier League last weekend, and he picked up two assists in the UEFA Champions League during the midweek.
Salah will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and add to his goal tally for the season when Liverpool take on Aston Villa. The veteran attacker has been directly involved in an unsurpassed 12 Premier League goals this season, scoring seven and providing five assists.
In addition, Salah is vying to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time since a run of seven from August to October 2021. Expect another determined performance from the talismanic attacker amid speculation surrounding his future.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa
Liverpool will be the favourites heading into this contest, and they should be able to grind out a victory at home. The Reds have been formidable under Arne Slot this season. On the other hand, Aston Villa have struggled in recent weeks, and this will be a tough challenge for them away from home.
The West Midlands outfit have a poor record against Liverpool as well, and the home team is likely to pile further misery on them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Slot and his charges this weekend.