Liverpool look to break their rut in a must-win Premier League clash against a resurgent Aston Villa.
If Manchester United and Tottenham both lose elsewhere, victory could put Liverpool as high as second in the table.
Villa can leapfrog Liverpool with a win and potentially go as high as second themselves.
Team News
Ryan Gravenberch could return for Liverpool after he missed their last three matches with an ankle injury.
Alisson, Jeremie Frimpong (both hamstring), Alexander Isak, Curtis Jones (both groin) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) are still sidelined.
Villa will be without loanee, Harvey Elliott who is ineligible to face his parent club due to loan rules in the Premier League.
Emiliano Buendia is ruled out after he suffered a foot injury in Villa’s win against Manchester City last weekend.
Youri Tielemans (calf) and Andres Garcia (knock) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Liverpool host Villa at Anfield on Saturday 1 November at 5:30pm GMT, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine league meetings against Villa (W6, D3).
- Villa have claimed just one point in their last seven league visits to Liverpool at Anfield (D1, L6).
- Mohamed Salah scored in both of Liverpool’s meetings against Villa last season (W1, D1).
- Liverpool have won one of their last seven matches in all competitions (W1, L6).
- Villa are unbeaten in their last six league matches (W4, D2), having last achieved that feat in a seven-match streak between August – October 2024.
Prediction
Having made ten changes from their league loss at Brentford for their disastrous Carabao Cup exit against Palace, Arne Slot better hope that his regular starters are refreshed and can lay down a return to their best because one win in seven is nearly sackable as fans start to turn on him.
Liverpool’s defensive tactics though are their biggest issue because too often they’re getting caught out and left vulnerable to fast counter-attacks, so Slot really needs to find a way to play his aggressive attacking press without forcing his defence too high if want to stop their rut.
Villa though rebounded from their shock Europa League defeat with a clinical display at home to Man City where they defended well but crucially were clinical up front, which might need to be the case again here if want to stop Liverpool’s fierce attack.
I however do think that Slot might of been wise to give some of his regulars a substitute run-out against Palace because the pressure is on them to atone, but this won’t be easy now Villa have found form and confidence so I can see Unai Emery’s Villains nicking a draw.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Aston Villa
Result: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa
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