Aston Villa make the tough trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in game-week four of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. Here’s the latest heading into Sunday’s fixture on Merseyside…
Words by: Liam Davies
THE BUILD UP
Looking to make it four wins on the bounce (in all competitions), Unai Emery’s Villans have been gearing up to battle JĂŒrgen Klopp’s Reds this weekend. Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League on seven points, whilst Villa are in seventh on six points, after three games played.
The away side come into the game at Anfield on the back of a 3-0 (8-0 agg) victory over Hibernian at Villa Park. A rotated Villa side, that saw the likes of Seb Revan, Jhon DurĂĄn and Omari Kellyman start, breezed past their Scottish opposition and sailed through to the UEFA Conference League group stages where they will face AZ Alkmaar, Legia Warszawa and HĆ K Zrinjski, following the draw in Monaco yesterday. DurĂĄn, Leon Bailey and Matty Cash all found themselves on the scoresheet on Thursday.
Last time out in the Premier League, the Villans defeated Burnley by three goals to one at Turf Moor. Matty Cash scored a first-half brace, before the Clarets’ Lyle Foster clawed one back just after the break. Moussa Diaby restored Villa’s two goal cushion in the 61st minute, helping Emery’s side to back to back wins in the league.
Deadline day was a quiet one for the West-Midlands outfit, with just the one signing and a few departures. ClĂ©ment Lenglet, who spent last season at Tottenham Hotspur, joined on loan from Barcelona and finished off Villa’s transfer business, following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo. Leaving the club were Keinan Davis, Sebastien Revan (loan) and Jaden Philogene.
This week’s opponents enter the weekend having dramatically defeated Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James Park last Sunday. Liverpool struggled in the opening exchanges and found themselves both a goal behind and down to ten men after 28 minutes, with Anthony Gordon finding the back of the net for the Magpies and captain Virgil Van Dijk receiving his marching orders. Substitute Darwin NĂșñez inspired a late second-half comeback after a resilient performance, and the Reds came away with all three points on Tyneside.
Last season’s game on Merseyside finished 1-1, with Jacob Ramsey and Roberto Firmino finding the back of the net. Who will come out on top and make it three league wins in a row tomorrow afternoon?
TEAM NEWS
ASTON VILLA
Unai Emery has confirmed that winger Bertrand TraorĂ© is currently sidelined through injury. Villa’s number nine, who featured against both Hibernian last Wednesday and Burnley on Sunday too, was in many people’s predicted line-ups for Thursday’s second-leg clash, after Emery was expected to rotate the side, but the BurkinabĂ© forward was unnamed in the match-day squad.
The injury is thought to have been picked up in training, and the 27-year-old will look to use the upcoming international break as an opportunity to rest and recover ahead of a comeback at the end of the month.
The Basque boss also provided an update on goalkeeper Emi MartĂnez, after the number one missed the trip to Turf Moor last weekend and Thursday’s Conference League qualifier against Hibernian. Emery confirmed that the Argentine shot-stopper had trained but is being assessed ahead of tomorrow’s game.
He said: “Emi MartĂnez trained this morning (Friday), tomorrow the last training is going to be important for him to play or not. Hopefully yes. Tomorrow we are going to prepare the for match and be ready for Sunday.”
Emi BuendĂa, Tyrone Mings and Tim Iroegbunam remain Villa’s three long-term absentees, whilst Ălex Moreno and Jacob Ramsey both remain out. Philippe Coutinho is nearing a move to Qatari side Al-Duhail, but is also unavailable due to the hamstring injury picked up against Everton a fortnight ago.
LIVERPOOL
JĂŒrgen Klopp will be without captain Virgil Van Dijk for tomorrow’s home fixture against Aston Villa. The Dutch defender was shown a straight red card during the early stages of the win over Newcastle last weekend and is therefore suspended for the upcoming contest.
The number four was sent off for a challenge on Magpies forward Alexander Isak, with Van Dijk deemed to be the ‘last man’. The former Southampton centre-half has since been charged with ‘improper conduct’ due to his reaction towards referee John Brooks and fourth official Craig Pawson and could see his one-game ban extended as a result.
Fellow centre-half Ibrahima KonatĂ© remains unavailable this weekend after missing the recent win over Newcastle. The French international did receive a call up to his national side ahead of the upcoming international break, but is currently out with a muscle injury, boss JĂŒrgen Klopp confirmed earlier this week.
Elsewhere, former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago AlcĂąntara is out with a hip injury. The Spaniard missed the final run-in of last season and was absent for the entirety of the Reds’ pre-season after requiring surgery. Despite returning to training a few weeks ago, the number six has since suffered a set back and faces further time on the sideline.
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A BIT ON LIVERPOOL
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have began the 23/24 season strongly and remain undefeated heading into the fourth game-week, An opening weekend draw at Stamford Bridge against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea was followed by a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, before last weekend’s thrilling win over Eddie Howe’s Newcastle.
The Merseyside team will play Europa League football this term after finishing fifth in the Premier League last season. The Reds will face in Austrian outfit LASK, Belgian side Royale Union SG and Ligue 1’s Toulouse in their group, with a Carabao Cup tie against Leicester sandwiched into the schedule too.
Liverpool have undergone a critical midfield rebuild over the course of the summer, after Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all left the club. Klopp has introduced Stuttgart’s Wataru EndĆ, Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister, RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch in an attempt to improve the quality of the side in the middle of the pitch.
Roberto Firmino was another summer outgoing; the Brazilian joined Saudi’s Al-Ahli, and FĂĄbio Carvalho also left on loan to RB Leipzig. Deadline day at Anfield was dominated by the news of a Saudi bid for talisman Mohammed Salah. Al Ittihad reportedly bid in the region of ÂŁ150 million for the Egyptian winger; a sum that was quickly rejected by the Reds. Liverpool’s number ten has one goal and two assist to his name this season and is expected to start the upcoming clash against Unai Emery’s side.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Mo Salah remains not for sale amid the Saudi interest and reports earlier in the window regarding a possible exit. Speaking on his star man, Klopp said: “The position remains the same, absolutely. “That’s how it is. Nothing else to say. No offer as far as I know.”
Klopp will look to last season’s top-scorer for inspiration as his side ready themselves for a tough test against Aston Villa tomorrow.
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MY PREDICTED LINE-UP
Letâs take a look at my predicted line-up for this upcoming fixtureâŠ
Do you agree? Who makes your side? Share yours now and letâs discuss?
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