Champions League qualification rivals Aston Villa and Liverpool kick off the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures on Friday night.
Only goal difference separates the sides, who are both in pole position to take up the remaining two Champions League spots on offer. However, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth still on their tails, the stakes are high for the upcoming clash at Villa Park.
Victory would guarantee a top-five finish for both Villa and Liverpool, while a stalemate could be enough depending on the outcome of Bournemouth’s clash with Manchester City next Tuesday.
Villa will have one eye on the Europa League final next Wednesday, victory over Freiburg in Istanbul also securing them Champions League qualification. Liverpool will aim to take advantage of any concentration lapses as they seek redemption following underwhelming performances against Manchester United and Chelsea over the past fortnight.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to the clash in the Midlands.
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool Score Prediction
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Backing Liverpool has been a fool’s game for much of the season, but predicting a victory for them at Villa Park is as much about their hosts as it is Arne Slot’s side.
Villa are expected to make some changes with one eye on the Europa League final, perhaps offering peripheral figures an opportunity to shine—something Emery did prior to the second leg of their European semifinal with Nottingham Forest.
The result of that rotation was a disjointed and abject performance against Tottenham Hotspur which resulted in a convincing defeat, and a repeat of such a display will inevitably end badly for Villa on Friday.
Even in unconvincing form, Liverpool still have the weapons to cause problems for Emery’s men.
- Villa rotation: The Villans don’t boast the deepest squad and could be punished for making alterations at the weekend. When drafting in an unfamiliar XI against Spurs, they managed just 0.32 expected goals, one shot on target and 45% possession.
- Patchy form: While Liverpool are not in particularly confident mood, Villa are in worse form than their visitors. By only managing a draw at already relegated Burnley last weekend, the Midlands side extended their winless run to three in the Premier League. They have won just one of their last five domestic outings.
- Liverpool returnees: Disappointing displays in recent weeks haven’t been helped by injuries for Liverpool, but Mohamed Salah is among the returning cast this weekend. Alexander Isak should be fit to start, while Alisson and Florian Wirtz could be available. A timely boost for under-fire Arne Slot.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1–2 Liverpool
Aston Villa Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool
The likes of Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Pau Torres could all be afforded rests with one eye on the Europa League, although a strong core will still include Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martínez.
On the injury front, Villa are only without central midfielders Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana, with Lamare Bogarde perhaps coming into the team to offer some fresh legs in the double pivot given the duo’s absence.
Harvey Elliott is ineligible to face his parent club, although wouldn’t have featured anyway. Slot has now confirmed that the Liverpool loanee will return to Anfield for preseason as he looks to reignite his career.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; Sancho, Barkley, Rogers; Abraham.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Aston Villa
The positive news for Liverpool is that Salah is once again available after injury, although he’s only “available for a few minutes,” according to Slot. The Dutchman also confirmed that Ibrahima Konaté is fully fit despite sustaining a knock in last weekend’s draw with Chelsea.
Slot remained coy on the fitness of Alisson and Florian Wirtz, the former back in training having missed two months of action and the latter battling a stomach infection. They could play some part at Villa Park.
Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitiké remain long-term absentees, but Alexander Isak should make his return to the XI after a minor injury setback.
What Time Does Aston Villa vs. Liverpool Kick Off?
- Location: Birmingham, England
- Stadium: Villa Park
- Date: Friday, May 15
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- VAR: Neil Davies
How to Watch Aston Villa vs. Liverpool on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | Peacock |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go, Sky GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
| Mexico | FOX One |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aston Villa vs. Liverpool: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
