Line-up, stats and Champions League preview as Salah prepares for comeback
Aston Villa will host Liverpool in an exciting Premier League match where the winner will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Both Villa and Liverpool are coming off disappointing results that have left them looking over their shoulders at sixth-placed Bournemouth in the race for the top five. The Cherries sit four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and fifth-placed Villa but do not play again until they host Manchester City on Tuesday.
Liverpool were knocked out at Anfield after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea, while Villa’s bid to reach the Europa League final proved to be similar as they were held to a 2-2 draw by relegated Burnley.
Villa are tipped to beat Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul next Wednesday, and book a place in the Champions League.
But Unai Emery will be looking to secure a place in Europe’s top competition sewn up ahead of that showdown, and a win against Liverpool would avert the fate of Villa suddenly losing to Freiburg in the final before traveling to City on the final day with their Champions League spot at stake.
Champions League qualification is one thing Liverpool can take away from a disappointing campaign but, with a difficult home game against Brentford following a trip to Villa Park, it is no guarantee for Arne Slot’s side.
Distance has been a big problem for Liverpool this season. The Reds have lost eight times on the road, although they may take some encouragement from Villa’s recent home defeat to Tottenham, yet in a game where Emery is pushing his pack harder.
“[Away form is] one of the reasons we are here, [we’ve] gave up too many points,” said Slot in his press conference before the game.
“Dropping points in away games happens especially after Europe in games where Liverpool usually win. Villa away is always difficult but we dropped points in away games where we usually don’t. This is one of the reasons why we haven’t entered the Champions League.
“The first challenge is to be fit and ready to play every three days next season. We’ve had a lot of breaks, a good spell after 70-80 minutes but that comes with dropping points at the end of the game.
“We wanted to beat Chelsea, then we entered the Champions League, we tried until the last second, people could see that a lot in the second half, we were leading.
“A draw, not the result we wanted but one point. Maybe last week we had a point and lost. We go to Villa, the best team this season, we have to try to win.”
Aston Villa v Liverpool team news
Villa will be without Boubacar Kamara (knee), Amadou Onana (calf) and Alysson (groin).
For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah will return after missing the last two games due to a hamstring injury.
Florian Wirtz is a doubt with a stomach infection, but Ibrahima Konate is fit to play despite being ruled out of the draw with Chelsea.
Aston Villa v Liverpool predicted lineup
Aston Villa: Martinez; Money, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Lindelof, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins.
Liverpool: Mamadashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isaac.
Where to watch Aston Villa v Liverpool: TV and online streaming
Aston Villa v Liverpool kicks off at 8:00pm. It will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It will be available to stream on Sky Go.
Aston Villa v Liverpool statistics
- Villa have won one of their last 16 Premier League games against Liverpool, a 7-2 home win in October 2020.
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in 10 of their last 11 Premier League away games against Villa – including their last eight in a row. Only City (11 at Fulham) and Manchester United (nine at West Bromwich Albion) have had longer spells of scoring at least two goals away from home in the competition.
- The Reds, who won the return leg at Anfield 2-0 in November, last played two league games against Villa in 2021-22, and last did so without conceding in 1995-96.
- Liverpool have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League Friday games since losing 4-2 to Arsenal in April 2004.
- But Liverpool have not won their last away league game in any of the last three seasons (two draws, one loss), with 19 goals scored in total (4-4 v Southampton, 3-3 v Villa, 2-3 v Brighton & Hove Albion).
- Each of the last Premier League meetings between the clubs at Villa Park has ended level (3-3 in 2023-24 and 2-2 in 2024-25).
- Salah has been involved in 14 goals in his last 12 Premier League games against Villa (nine goals, five assists), scoring and assisting in the game at Villa Park last season.
- Salah could make his last appearance on the road in the Premier League. With 83 goals and 47 assists (130 combined), only three players have scored more away goals in league history: Wayne Rooney (139), Ryan Giggs (137) and Harry Kane (135).
- Villa have lost four of their last eight Premier League home games (three wins, one draw), having won the previous eight.
- Ollie Watkins has been involved in 12 goals in his last 13 games in all competitions (nine goals, three assists).
- Watkins has more Premier League goals against Brighton (11) and Newcastle United (nine) than he did against Liverpool (eight goals – six, two assists).
Aston Villa v Liverpool prediction
Although Villa are expected to win the Europa League, they will not want to put a foot in their bid to qualify for the Champions League by closing in on a place in the top five. With Liverpool’s injuries and their ongoing defensive issues, it’s hard to see the Reds being able to slow down the strikers.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Liverpool
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