Liverpool vs Aston Villa preview
Brendan Rodgers needs a victory to ease the mounting pressure when Liverpool welcome Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday.
Rodgers’ charges were booed after scraping past League Two side Carlisle United on penalties in the Capital One Cup match on Wednesday. Rodgers selected a team of seasoned internationals against the lower league opposition, but his team produced another aimless, laboured display.
Liverpool may have eventually progressed to the fourth round, but they remain winless in six games in open play, including demoralising defeats to West Ham and Manchester United. They are struggling to create chances and have the joint-second worst offensive record in the league so far.
All of those problems are piling on top of a disappointing season last term, which culminated in Rodgers’ assistants losing their jobs. The Reds boss is consequently the bookies’ second favourite to lose his job behind Sunderland’s Dick Advocaat, which makes this home game a must-win for Liverpool.
Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa were also unconvincing in the Capital One Cup, but they defeated their local rivals Birmingham 1-0 and will be quietly confident of causing an upset at Anfield because of Liverpool’s offensive problems.
Villa have a better attacking record than Liverpool but they are clearly missing Christian Benteke’s all-round abilities because they do not have a centre forward with both the quality to influence the game on the floor and the aerial presence to convert crosses.
Since Benteke left to join the Reds, most of Villa’s league goals have come from attacking midfielders, with the current centre forwards – Gabriel Agbonlahor and Rudy Gestede – having one goal between them. Sherwood’s men will at least be glad that Benteke will miss the reunion with his old club because of a hamstring problem.
Liverpool team news
- Benteke is unavailable to face his old side due to a hamstring injury.
- Jordan Henderson (metatarsal fracture), Jon Flanagan (knee), Roberto Firmino (back) and Dejan Lovren (ankle) are all out.
- Kolo Toure is a doubt with a thigh problem.
Aston Villa team news
- Tiago Ilori is ineligible to face the Reds.
- Jores Okore (knee) and Gary Gardner (ankle) are both out injured.
- Idrissa Gana (hamstring), Adama Traore (calf), Jose Angel Crespo Rincon (groin) and Agbonlahor (calf) are all doubts.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa prediction
Rodgers could opt for a 3-4-1-2 formation for this encounter, with Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne as wing-backs flanking James Milner and Lucas Leiva in midfield. Philippe Coutinho could float as the central attacking midfielder behind Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge.
Aston Villa could start in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the attack-minded Jordan Amavi and Leandro Bacuna as full-backs supplying width in attack. Ashley Westwood and Carlos Sanchez will probably be the defensive midfielders, allowing the front-four to safely push on.
Jordan Ayew and Scott Sinclair may start as wide attacking midfielders, allowing Jack Grealish to operate in the number 10 role, where his defensive weaknesses will not be badly exposed. Gestede could lead the attack as the centre forward, providing a target in the box.
Liverpool will try as much as possible to penetrate through the middle, with Coutinho roaming in search of spaces between the lines. The Villans cannot afford to allow the Brazilian playmaker to influence the game in those areas so they could have one defensive midfielder shadow Coutinho or they could protect the space in front of the back-four with two defensive midfielders remaining close to the defensive line.
If Liverpool start with Sturridge and Ings up top, Villa’s central defenders have to be mindful of balls played over the top because Sturridge is still one of the best centre forwards in terms of timing his runs and threatening in behind.
Score prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa
