Liverpool vs Aston Villa Preview & Prediction | 2022-23 English Premier League
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THE FACTS
When is Liverpool vs Aston Villa on and what time does it start? Liverpool vs Aston Villa will take place on Saturday 20th May, 2023 – 15:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Liverpool vs Aston Villa? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Liverpool vs Aston Villa on in the UK? Television rights for the Premier League in the UK are shared between Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime so it is worth checking their schedules for Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Where can I stream Liverpool vs Aston Villa in the UK? If Liverpool vs Aston Villa is televised, then it can be streamed on either Sky Go, BT Sport Player or Amazon Prime Video depending on who is broadcasting the match
THE LOWDOWN
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool's charge for a Champions League place may have come just a little too late in the season, but they are certainly giving it a good go with seven straight victories in the Premier League putting plenty of pressure on Man Utd and Newcastle above them, although they still need one of those two teams to slip up twice if they are to sneak into the top four.
Their most recent victory saw them ease past a hapless Leicester side on the verge of the drop, and in truth the 0-3 scoreline flattered the Foxes. In-form Curtis Jones saw his stock rise off the back of a brace, while Trent Alexander-Arnold - also enjoying his football right now in his new hybrid role - put the icing on the cake with a trademark free-kick.
ASTON VILLA
Last week saw Aston Villa bounce back from defeats to Man Utd and Wolves by seeing off Tottenham - one of their rivals for a European place - and the Midlands club have plenty of motivation to achieve their highest Premier League finish since the 2009-10 season, when Martin O'Neill was in charge.
It was Jacob Ramsey who set them on their way against Spurs, breaking the deadlock after just eight minutes, and they faced very little threat from their opponents before Douglas Luiz extended their advantage midway through the second half. A Harry Kane penalty reduced the arrears in injury-time, and a disallowed Heung-Min Son goal almost completed an unlikely comeback, but Villa held on for victory.
THE TEAM NEWS
LIVERPOOL
With this set to be the final home game for departing Reds James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino, there will be a sense of emotion in the air at Anfield, but there will be no room for sentiment in Jurgen Klopp's line-up with a Champions League place still a minor possibility.
Firmino has trained all week and will surely see minutes at some point, but Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and ether Luis Diaz or Diogo Jota are likely to form the the front three. Darwin Nunez will definitely not be a consideration with a toe problem set to keep him out of this one, as he joins Calvin Ramsay, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara in the treatment room.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
UNAVAILABLE: Ramsay (Injured), Bajcetic (Injured), Thiago (Injured), Nunez (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Keita (Injured)
ASTON VILLA
Unai Emery made a tweak to his system against Spurs as well as a slight change in personnel, and with it resulting in a 2-1 victory, it would not be a huge surprise to see him opt for the same XI here. Emery once again preferred the experienced Ashley Young at right-back to Matty Cash, while Leon Bailey made his first start in over a month on the right side of midfield.
The injury-plagued Philippe Coutinho will play no further part in Aston Villa's season with a recent set-back resulting in the Brazilian revisiting the treatment room, while Calum Chambers is currently dealing with an illness but Emery is confident that the defender will recover in time to make the squad.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Bailey, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey; Watkins, Buendia
UNAVAILABLE: Steer (Injured), Coutinho (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Chambers (Illness)
THE PREDICTION
Given their seven-game winning streak, many pundits are mistakenly assuming that another win here is a formality for Liverpool, but that is a disservice to the improvements Unai Emery has made at the club since he took over from former Red Steven Gerrard. They will not make it easy for the hosts, but in what is likely to be a raucous Anfield atmosphere - particularly as this match will be a swansong for Roberto Firmino, among others - the crowd have the potential to make the difference. A narrow home win is predicted.
TIP: LIVERPOOL TO WIN & UNDER 2.5 GOALS
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