Venue: Villa Park Date: Sunday, 31st March K/o: 13:30 GMT
Team News
Aston Villa welcome back Darren Bent, Nathan Baker and Karim El Ahmadi following injury lay-offs, while Fabian Delph returns from suspension. Ciaran Clark and Brett Holman are doubts however having suffered shoulder injuries on international duty and will have their fitness assessed ahead of kick off. Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Jamie Carragher are pushing for recalls, but Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Martin Kelly will miss the rest of the season.
Match Preview
Back to back league wins for Aston Villa have quietened the doom mongers - at least for a little while. Once considered sure-fire relegation fodder, there are now quiet whispers of survival at Villa Park, and if Paul Lambert's beleaguered side can replicate that famous 3-1 win at Anfield in December, they will be in with a real chance of dodging the relegation trap door. Liverpool are scarcely in inspired form of late. The 3-1 defeat to Southampton a fortnight ago was one of the poorest performances under Brendan Rodgers this season and were they to suffer a successive defeat to a side currently in the bottom ten, their European aspirations would take a nosedive. With Everton winning last night, six points is the gap between the two Mersey rivals, a fact of which Liverpool fans will need no reminding of.
Likely Line-Ups
Aston Villa Guzan, Lowton, Lichaj, Baker, Vlaar, Bannan, Westwood, N'Zogbia, El Ahmadi, Bent, Benteke
Liverpool Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Enrique, Downing, Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge, Suarez Source:
BBC