Premier League fans will be treated to a sneak preview of one of the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Saturday when Aston Villa welcome unbeaten league leaders Liverpool to Villa Park.
Two days after the clubs were drawn against each other for December's cup contest they will do battle in the league, with both sides coming into the game off the back of Wednesday wins which sealed their places in the last eight.
Match preview
© Reuters
Liverpool will have barely had time to catch their breath ahead of this match following their crazy and chaotic cup classic against Arsenal on Wednesday night.
A brilliantly bonkers contest ended 5-5 after normal time before Liverpool won a penalty shootout which was actually lower scoring than the game itself, Curtis Jones enjoying the dream moment of netting the winning penalty in front of the Kop end on what was his home debut for his boyhood club.
Jurgen Klopp's suggestion that it could have all been for nothing should Liverpool be forced to withdraw from the competition due to their Club World Cup commitments dampened the atmosphere somewhat after the game, but even with a completely changed XI the result once again showcased the never-say-die attitude that has played a major role in them setting the pace at the top of the Premier League table.
Saturday's match will be much more than just a dress rehearsal for the EFL Cup quarter-final, particularly with the prospect of an Anfield showdown against Manchester City on the horizon.
The Reds take on their main title rivals next weekend knowing that a win would be a significant step towards a first title in 30 years - even at this stage of the season - but they also have matches against Villa and Genk prior to that which will require their full attention.
© Reuters
While it is impossible to argue with a joint-record tally of 28 points from the first 30 available which leaves them six clear of City, it is some time since Liverpool delivered a victory as convincing as their league position suggests they should.
Over the last five league games the leaders have hung on to beat Chelsea, needed a goalkeeping howler to beat Sheffield United, required late goals against Leicester City and Manchester United and had to come from behind against Tottenham Hotspur to keep their fine form intact.
The ability to grind out results when not at their best is a priceless commodity and one which so often separates champions from the rest, but a comfortable and confident win by more than one goal is arguably overdue for a team who have been statistically as good as any the Premier League has ever seen over the past season-and-a-bit.
One reason behind that is perhaps their defensive record; Liverpool may have conceded the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League this season, but they have kept only two clean sheets in 10 games and, across all competitions, have not kept a shutout in six.
© Reuters
Klopp will be the first to stress that there are no easy games in the Premier League, particularly on the road, and Villa's home record this season suggests that Liverpool may need to find answers from somewhere again on Saturday.
The newly-promoted side are unbeaten in their last five outings in front of their own fans including Wednesday's victory over Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, which set up that quarter-final tie with Liverpool.
Indeed, home or away Villa's only loss in their last six matches came at Manchester City last weekend, and even then they gave the champions a scare during a goalless first half.
The eventual 3-0 defeat at the Etihad leaves them 15th in the table, just three points clear of the relegation zone, but Dean Smith will be relatively content with how their return to the top flight has gone so far.
© Reuters
Only Tottenham outside the top four have scored more goals than the Villans this term, although on the flip side only the bottom three have conceded more too, so there are clear areas for improvement.
A double-header against Man City and then Liverpool is as tough as it gets in the Premier League at the moment and if Villa can even come away with one point from those two games they will deem that a good return, so they could be out to frustrate the Reds from the off in this match.
In John McGinn, Anwar El Ghazi and Jack Grealish they have a midfield capable of breaking and getting goals, though, while Wesley could provide an important hold-up role if, as expected, Liverpool see the lion's share of possession.
Aston Villa Premier League form: DLDWWL
Aston Villa form (all competitions): WDWWLW
Liverpool Premier League form: WWWWDW
Liverpool form (all competitions): WWDWWW
Team News
© Reuters
Liverpool will welcome a host of first-team players back into their starting lineup for this one after making 11 changes in midweek, including star duo Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
Both players picked up knocks during the win over Tottenham last weekend but have recovered fully and will return to the starting XI alongside the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker.
The spot alongside Van Dijk is likely to be filled by Dejan Lovren once again with Joel Matip still sidelined by a knee injury which is expected to now keep him out for up to six weeks.
Klopp does have a decision to make over Fabinho, who has been in fine form this season but is just one booking away from a suspension which, should he get it in this match, would mean he misses the Manchester City game.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are still sweating over the fitness of captain Grealish, who missed the midweek win over Wolves due to a calf injury.
Smith is optimistic that the midfielder will have recovered in time to feature, while Henri Lansbury and Keinan Davis should also be available after suffering cramp on Wednesday.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Heaton; Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Targett; Trezeguet, McGinn, Nakamba, Hourihane, Grealish; Wesley
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Head To Head
Liverpool have fond memories of their most recent visit to Villa Park, when they ran out 6-0 winners in February 2016 with six different players getting on the scoresheet - including James Milner, Divock Origi and Nathaniel Clyne from the current squad.
Indeed, Liverpool have won their last five league trips to Villa Park and 13 at the stadium throughout the Premier League era - more than they have beaten any other side away from home in the competition.
Stretching even further back, Villa's only home league win in their last 18 attempts against Liverpool came in May 2011, when Stewart Downing scored the only goal of the game before signing for Liverpool just a couple of months later.
We say: Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
There are goals in this Aston Villa team and they should be able to breach a Liverpool defence which has tended to concede this season, but the home side's own defensive deficiencies are likely to be more ruthlessly exposed at the other end. It may not be as comfortable as Liverpool's last visit to the ground, but Klopp's side should go marching on ahead of next weekend's mouth-watering showdown with Man City.
No Data Analysis info
