Date: Saturday, January 17 Venue: Anfield Kick-Off: 17:30 Can Aston Villa continue their impressive record at Anfield when they travel to face Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday?
Team News
Liverpool are expected to start Daniel Sturridge up front after the England striker made his return from injury be scoring off the bench in the win over Stoke last weekend. Joe Allen and Mamadou Sakho are also back in the squad after being sidelined for the last three games. Aston Villa could hand debuts to new loan signings Grant Holt and Ryan Bertrand. However, Nathan Baker is out with concussion. (bbc)
Key Stats
Liverpool won the reverse of this fixture earlier this season 1-0. Aston Villa have lost just one of their last four matches at Anfield. No team has conceded fewer home goals (six) than Liverpool this season in the Premier League (level with Man City and Arsenal). Christian Benteke scored three goals against Liverpool in the Premier League last season, more than any other player managed against the Reds.
Likely Line-Ups
Liverpool Mingolet, Cissokho, Skrtel, Sakho, Johnson, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Suarez Sturridge Aston Villa Guzan, Lowton, Luna, Clark, Bertrand, Bacuna, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Holt
Match Preview
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was bullish earlier this week when he said that he'd "never give up the fight" for the Premier League title. You can perhaps pardon him of his confidence now that his first-choice strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are back and playing together for the first time since November. The duo helped tear Stoke apart in last weekend's 5-3 win and that will be bad news for Saturday's opponents, Aston Villa. Yet Villa too have reason for confidence as they have lost just one of their last four matches at Anfield and tend to fare quite favourably against the Reds. Paul Lambert also has a returning striker, so to speak, in Christian Benteke, who ended a four hours and 45 minute goal drought bY netting against Arsenal on Monday. If the Belgian can continue his form in front of goal, the Villans certainly have cause for optimism, though I'm still going for a Liverpool win. Prediction: 2-1
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
