Liverpool host Aston Villa in a late Saturday kick off as Arne Slot’s side attempt to enter the international break sitting top of the Premier League.
The Reds come into the match on the back of a 4-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and a victory over Villa will cap off a fine week that has also seen Slot’s team secure a comeback victory over Brighton last weekend. Liverpool have won eight of theur 10 league games and have a two-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City though any slip up could cause them to fall down the table.
Dropping points against Villa is a realistic possibility. Unai Emery’s men have made a strong start to the season and currently sit sixth in the table though they are in a poor run of form. A shock 4-1 defeat to Tottenham last weekend was followed by a 1-0 loss to Club Brugge after Tyrone Mings’ calamitous error during the week.
Taking points off Liverpool at Anfield would turn about Villa’s form and send them into the break with a bit of momentum. Can they do so?
Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:
Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE
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Liverpool host Aston Villa in the Premier League with kick off at 8pm, live on TNT Sports
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Arne Slot’s men sit top of the table and hope to maintain their lead over Man City
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Villa hoping to bounce back following losses against Spurs and Club Brugge
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Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.
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Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins.
Liverpool FC – Aston Villa FC
Line-ups
18:47 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.
Subs: Jaros, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gomez, Gakpo, Quansah, Bradley, Morton.
Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Kamara, McGinn, Buendia, Philogene, Duran.
Liverpool’s historic start
18:40 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot has made the best start by any Premier League manager in history, with 14 wins from 16 competitive games in charge.
Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win as many as eight of his first 10 top-flight fixtures in charge of the club.
A dip in form
18:35 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa have equalled their longest losing streak under Unai Emery of three matches across all competitions. They could suffer consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time in 18 months.
Slot on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold’s contract
18:30 , Mike Jones
One of the ongoing sagas concerning Liverpool is the contract negotiations with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk who are all out of contract next summer.
Arne Slot has repeatedly been asked if there are any updates on the discussions and he replied that they concern the players and sporting director Richard Hughes and would remain internal.
Slot said: “It would be strange if I have no input. In general contract situations are talked about by the people who should talk about them. I talk about this with Richard and that’s where it should be, not in front of a microphone.”
Home advantage
18:25 , Mike Jones
This is Liverpool’s 100th home game versus Aston Villa in all competitions. The Reds have won 62 times and lost only 17.
‘The biggest mistake I witnessed’: Unai Emery laments bizarre Tyrone Mings error in Aston Villa defeat
18:20 , Mike Jones
Unai Emery has said Tyrone Mings’ calamitous gaffe which condemned Aston Villa to Champions League defeat at Club Brugge was the biggest mistake he has witnessed in his managerial career.
The centre-back inexplicably picked up a short goal-kick by Emiliano Martinez without knowing referee Tobias Stieler had restarted the game.
Brugge captain Hans Vanaken converted the resulting 52nd-minute penalty to earn a 1-0 victory for the Belgian champions and end Villa’s three-game winning start to life in the Champions League.
‘The biggest mistake I witnessed’: Unai Emery laments bizarre Tyrone Mings error
Villa’s last win here was big
18:15 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa’s solitary victory in the last 13 Premier League meetings was by 7-2 at Villa Park in October 2020, with Ollie Watkins scoring a hat-trick.
But, Villa have only taken one point from six league visits to Anfield since a 1-0 win in September 2014.
Comeback kings
18:10 , Mike Jones
Last time out against Brighton, Liverpool came from behind to win for the 100th time in the Premier League, becoming the third club to reach that milestone.
Head to head
18:05 , Mike Jones
Liverpool have won more league games (94) and amassed more league points versus Aston Villa (324), converting to three points for a win, than they have against any other club.
The Reds have lost only five of the last 39 league meetings between the sides both home and away.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot explains left-back battle between Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson
18:00 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot could hardly have wished for anything more from the first four months or so of his time at Liverpool but the fixtures keep coming fast and thick for the Reds, with Aston Villa next up at the weekend in the Premier League.
That is the final match before the upcoming international break and Slot will be hoping for a fourth straight victory in all competitions, which would make it six wins and one draw across a run of games many saw as being a big test of the team’s title credentials after a perceived easier run at the start of the campaign.
Slot has made sure to tweak his team for games to keep his squad fresh of late, with midweek seeing Liverpool hammer Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League after a couple of such changes, including Luis Diaz playing at centre-forward – where he scored twice from and netted three times on the night in total.
Slot gives verdict on key battle for position at Liverpool
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
17:55 , Mike Jones
Having won just one of their six Premier League home games against Aston Villa between 2009 and 2014 (two draws, three defeats), Liverpool have now won five of their last six at Anfield against the Villans (one draw).
Will they add to that tally tonight?
‘Villa will be tough’ says Van Dijk
17:50 , Mike Jones
The Liverpool captain explained what he is expecting from today’s game and claims playing against Unai Emery’s side will be ‘tough’.
In his programme notes column he wrote: “It is hard not to be impressed by what Villa have achieved under Unai Emery in the last couple of seasons. They are one of the strongest teams in the Premier League and have enjoyed a really good start to their Champions League campaign too. Their collective organisation, combined with their individual quality, makes them a really tough opponent for anybody.
“We need to be at our best to beat them, then. We knew that this block of fixtures was going to be really difficult – and we have another equally tough set coming up – so if we could head into the final international break of the year with another three points in the bag, we would be extremely satisfied.”
Slot issues Jota injury update
17:45 , Mike Jones
Diogo Jota sustained an issue during the 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield last month and has subsequently missed Liverpool’s last five games.
He will be absent when the Reds host Aston Villa on Saturday night but manager Arne Slot provided an update saying Jota could be available again in a matter of weeks.
“We expect him back after the international break… the first weeks after the international break we expect him back.”
On the nature of Jota’s injury, Slot added: “I always say in Holland there is privacy about this and I don’t know how it is over here. Like I just said, he will be back one or two weeks after the international break.”
Van Dijk wants to head into break with a win
17:40 , Mike Jones
Virgil van Dijk wants Liverpool to head into the international break having won all three of their testing fixtures over the last week. The Reds have triumphed in clashes with Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen ahead of tonight’s match against Villa.
Writing in the programme notes ahead of today’s game, Van Dijk said: “After two big Anfield wins in a row, we would love to make it a perfect hat-trick this weekend.
“Our Premier League victory over Brighton last weekend was important, with the team showing its character and quality to come back after a difficult first half. And to follow that up with a big performance against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday night felt equally significant.
“When you play as we did against the current champions of Germany, a team that has been among the best in Europe over the last 12 months or so, you can only take confidence.
“Against both Brighton and Leverkusen the atmosphere at Anfield was excellent, and played its part in our victories. I am looking forward to another loud one this evening when Aston Villa visit.”
England’s most in-form midfielder is uncapped and ready to show what Three Lions have been missing
17:35 , Mike Jones
After becoming a parent, after earning a place in the table-topping team, after a stellar player-of-the-match performance in a high-profile game and after providing one of the Champions League highlights of the week, Curtis Jones has another milestone occasion in his sights: a first senior international cap for England.
At the age of 23, it’s hardly before time. Indeed, given the discourse and dissatisfaction over the Three Lions’ midfield over the last few years, it might in fact seem odd to some that a Liverpool regular with almost 150 games under his belt might only now get a shot at earning a first cap.
The uncapped England man ready to show what Three Lions have been missing
Liverpool vs Aston Villa prediction
17:30 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa have faltered in recent weeks while Liverpool have carried on flying, so expect a home win despite it potentially being a close-fought contest.
Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa.
Predicted line-ups
17:25 , Mike Jones
With the international break looming Liverpool will want to go out on a high and keep hold of their place at the top of the table so expect Arne Slot to name a strong team.
Here’s how we see the two teams lining-up to face each other today:
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
Aston Villa early team news
17:20 , Mike Jones
Matty Cash (calf) and Ross Barkley are still sidelined for Aston Villa, while Tyrone Mings will likely drop to the bench following his midweek horror show that was criticised by his manager.
Liverpool’s early team news
17:15 , Mike Jones
Arne Slot has confirmed that Diogo Jota (rib) won’t be back for Liverpool until after the international break, while Alisson (hamstring), Harvey Elliott (foot) and Federico Chiesa are also sidelined.
Ibrahima Konate has made a very swift return from a wrist injury sustained last weekend, as he started against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, and Slot also faces a choice between Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson at left-back, with the Greek seeming to have usurped the Scot as first choice in recent weeks.
Where can I watch it?
17:10 , Mike Jones
The match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can also stream via the discovery+ app.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
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When is the game?
17:05 , Mike Jones
Liverpool host Aston Villa at 8pm GMT on Saturday, 9 November at Anfield.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
17:00 , Mike Jones
Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield in the Premier League tonight, with Arne Slot’s side looking to stay at the top of the Premier League for anther week.
The Reds entered the weekend with a two-point lead at the summit of the table, having earned a hard-fought win over Brighton last weekend, though they face an Aston Villa side that is once again competing at the business end of proceedings.
Despite a solid start to the season, Unai Emery’s side lost 4-1 to Tottenham last weekend, before slipping to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Club Brugge in the Champions League in midweek thanks to Tyrone Mings’s moment of madness.
Liverpool also featured in that competition in midweek, hammering Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 to move top of the table, and they welcome a Villa side who will be hoping to cause an upset in Merseyside as they look to stay around the Champions League places.
Good evening!
08:49 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action as Liverpool host Aston Villa in a crucial Premier League clash that could determine who sits top of the table over the international break.
The Reds currently occupy top spot but face stiff competition from Manchester City who sit second just two points behind them. With Villa proving to be tough opponents this year Arne Slot’s side will have to execute a near-perfect gameplan to break down their defence and get the three points.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
