Liverpool will host Aston Villa in a Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday night, desperate to get their stuttering campaign back on track.

Liverpool have now lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions ahead of their game vs Aston Villa this weekend. The Reds are completely lacking in form and confidence, with doubts emerging about Arne Slot’s long-term future. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly.

The home fans will demand a strong reaction from the players. They crashed out of the EFL Cup during midweek after a home defeat against Crystal Palace. It will be interesting to see if the Premier League champions can pick up all three points here.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are in impressive form right now. Unai Emery’s men have picked up four wins in the Premier League in a row, and they will be full of confidence. They will look to take advantage of Liverpool’s vulnerability and pile further misery on them.

There is no doubt that Emery has a quality team, and Aston Villa will look to pull off an upset vs Liverpool. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Liverpool

Arne Slot will be without Alisson Becker (thigh), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), and Alexander Isak (groin). However, Ryan Gravenberch may be fit enough to start on the bench this weekend after recovering from an ankle injury.

Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal. Conor Bradley and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate will form the central defensive partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk.

As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will pair up in the double pivot. They will look to control the game from the deep and add defensive cover. Gravenberch will likely make an appearance in the second half.

Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo will start on the flanks here. They will look to add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Florian Wirtz will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the attacking midfield role. Finally, Hugo Ekitike will spearhead the Liverpool attack vs Aston Villa on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvilli, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Aston Villa

Unai Emery has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture, with Emiliano Buendia recovering from the foot injury he picked up last week. Youri Tielemans continues to miss out with a calf injury, while Andres Garcia is recovering from a muscular issue. Apart from that, Harvey Elliott is ineligible to face his parent club.

Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Emiliano Martinez in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the Reds on the break. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will start alongside Tyrone Mings at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana will add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.

John McGinn and Evann Guessand will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Liverpool on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Guessand; Watkins

Key Stats

• Liverpool have been losing at both half-time and full-time in their last four matches in the Premier League.
• Liverpool have won six of their last seven home matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
• 21 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
• Four of the last six matches between these two teams have seen both sides get on the score sheet.
• Only Bournemouth (6) have scored more Premier League goals from outside the box this season than Aston Villa (5), with Matty Cash responsible for two of those, making the Villa full-back one of four players with multiple goals from distance this season (also Antoine Semenyo, Danny Welbeck and Moises Caicedo on two).

Player to Watch

Ollie Watkins

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The Aston Villa striker is our key player to watch out for. Watkins could cause all sorts of problems for a struggling Liverpool defence. He will look to hold up the ball and bring others into play. He will also look to find the back of the net.

Liverpool have struggled defensively, and they will be up against one of the best strikers in the Premier League. Watkins is likely to make life difficult for the home team, and Aston Villa will need him to step up and produce a strong performance if they want to grind out a victory away from home.

Prediction

Liverpool 1-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa are in impressive form right now, and they will be full of confidence. On the other hand, Liverpool are lacking in momentum and form. They are likely to struggle once again. Aston Villa have a quality team, and Unai Emery is an astute tactician.

The Aston Villa manager has the quality at his disposal and the tactical acumen to expose Liverpool’s vulnerability, and the visitors will look to pile further misery on the defending champions.

Liverpool will look to put on a strong performance here, but they are likely to come up short once again. A defeat for the home team is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Emery and his charges.