Liverpool v Aston Villa – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Liverpool take on Aston Villa The Reds currently sit at the top of the table, while Unai Emery’s side is on a three-match losing streak. Liverpool have scored 10 goals in their last four encounters with Villa.

Liverpool Form

Liverpool are top of the league with eight wins in 10 league matches and have won four consecutive games in the Champions League. They put together an impressive eight-match winning streak, with the last three wins all secured by a one-goal margin. They followed a 2-1 home win over Chelsea with a 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig.

A 2-2 draw at Arsenal, where they came back from a 2-1 deficit, was another strong result. They then achieved two wins over Brighton, a 3-2 away victory in the Carabao Cup and a 2-1 comeback at home in the league. Midweek, they defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-0, scoring four goals in the final 30 minutes and generating an impressive 3.79 xG.

Liverpool Team News

Manager Arne Slot is expected to be without four injured players until after the FIFA break. Alisson, Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa will not be available for this match.

Some rotation is likely in other areas, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, and Andy Robertson options to return to the starting XI. Luis Diaz could keep his place as the central striker after scoring a hat-trick from that position midweek.

Liverpool Motivation

Liverpool will aim for nothing less than a win here, as they need to keep securing victories in the title race. Expect them to take the game to Villa but remain cautious of counter-attacks. Slot’s team may look to score early and then control spaces to neutralize threats from Villa’s forward players, such as Ollie Watkins.

Aston Villa Form

Villa were unbeaten in 11 matches before losing their last three fixtures. They had a six-game winning streak, which included a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich, followed by a 0-0 home draw with Man Utd. After that, they earned two more wins, 3-1 at Fulham and 2-0 at home against Bologna. A 96th-minute goal conceded led to a 1-1 home draw with Bournemouth.

The recent losses started with a 2-1 home defeat in the Carabao Cup with a rotated XI against Crystal Palace. Last weekend, they lost 4-1 at Tottenham after being level at 1-1 until the 76th minute. In midweek, a Tyrone Mings error led to a 1-0 Champions League loss away to Club Brugge.

Aston Villa Team News

Unai Emery will be without Ross Barkley and Matty Cash for this match. Ezri Konsa is likely to fill in at right-back again, with Lucas Digne and Pau Torres returning to defense after being rested midweek.

Amadou Onana is expected to start, replacing Boubacar Kamara. Jacob Ramsey is also pushing for a start, though Jhon Duran is likely to remain on the bench.

Aston Villa Motivation

Villa are looking to end their losing streak and would likely be content with a draw at Anfield. Emery’s side can play either defensively or with a possession-based approach, but they are expected to adopt a more cautious game plan here to contain Liverpool’s dynamic attack.

Key Stats

Liverpool have lost just 2 of their last 53 home EPL matches (41 wins, 10 draws).

Liverpool have won 14 of their 16 matches this season, scoring 37 goals.

Mohamed Salah has scored 7 goals this season for Liverpool.

Aston Villa have lost their last 3 matches after going 11 games unbeaten (with 8 wins).

Villa have conceded 28 goals in their last 18 matches.

Verdict

A Liverpool victory is the most likely outcome. Villa have the potential to create chances and should score a goal, but a Salah-inspired Liverpool side is expected to secure the win.