2022-2023 PL: Aston Villa vs. Liverpool

(The Guardian) Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Aston Villa v Liverpool at Villa Park. On the face of it, the winter break came at a good time for these teams, who both had unexpectedly difficult starts to the season. But actually, both had started to hit form before they were rudely interrupted by Qatar. Villa won their first two league games under Unai Emery, and Liverpool won four matches in a row in all competitions.

That run ended when they lost a Carabao Cup thriller at the Etihad in the week, but Jurgen Klopp should still be confident that the real Liverpool will stand up for the rest of the season. Injuries remain a problem - Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are all out - but many of their key players have had a good break. Mo Salah, Thiago Alcantara and Andy Robertson didn’t go to Qatar; Trent Alexander-Arnold played only 33 minutes.

Villa will be without their World Cup winner Emi Martinez, who is otherwise engaged with a Kylian Mbappe doll. Matty Cash, Jan Bednarek and Leander Dendoncker have been back a while and should be available.

(The Guardian) Villa start the game in 12th place, though they will move into the top ten if they win tonight. Liverpool are seventh; victory at Villa Park would move them above Brighton into sixth.

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The last six games between these teams at Villa Park - an unashamedly arbitrary cut-off point - have finished 0-6, 1-2, 5-0, 7-2, 1-4 and 1-2. Thirty one goals in six games!

(The Guardian) “Has the Klopp chap changed his team’s attacking shape,” says Ian Copestake, “as there seems to one be one forward fewer? And Oxlade.”

I think it’ll be 4-3-3 with Oxlade-Chamberlain or maybe Nunez on the left, but it could potentially be a 2-0-8.

(The Guardian) 1 min Peep peep! Villa kick off from right to left as we watch.

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1 min An early half-chance for Villa. Buendia lifts a pass over the top towards Watkins, who forces a shot from the edge of the area that is saved to his right by Alisson.

(The Guardian) 2 min An even better chance for Liverpool! Robertson curls a wonderful low cross towards Nunez, who inexplicably dummies the ball instead of taking the shot. Mings collides with the keeper Olsen and Digne beats Salah to the ball at the far post.

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4 min Mings is still down. He collided with Olsen and then fell awkwardly. That was such a good chance for Nunez, who chose the wrong time to demonstrate his unselfish side.

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