MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool’s title hopes are hanging by a thread — and Reds legend Steven Gerrard could be the man to end them completely.
The Merseysiders’ 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Saturday means they are now three points behind league leaders Manchester City so Jurgen Klopp’s men need to keep winning and hope for a slip-up from the Citizens.
But they face a tough test against Gerrard’s resurgent Aston Villa tonight, with the West Midlands outfit now unbeaten in three games.
Ahead of that match, we take a look at how the in-form Villans can land a knockout blow to Liverpool’s chances of claiming top spot.
High line opportunities
Liverpool’s high defensive line has come in for criticism, with Benfica and Spurs both enjoying some success when counter-attacking against the Reds.
Klopp’s side set up to press high up the pitch and aim to spring an offside trap when opponents attempt to break quickly.
But Gerrard will be buoyed by the fact that his team have only been caught offside 45 times in the Premier League this season — the second-least of any side in the division.
Former Anfield star Philippe Coutinho threading through-balls into strikers Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins could well prove to be productive for the Villans.
Defensive determination
Liverpool were frustrated by Spurs’ rock-solid defence on Saturday as Antonio Conte’s unit withstood a relentless onslaught of pressure throughout the match.
The Reds enjoyed 66% possession and had 22 shots but the visitors’ low-block allowed Klopp’s team very few clear-cut opportunities.
And they could have a similarly tough time against a Villa side who have conceded just once in their last three games.
Gerrard’s outfit have also kept eight clean sheets since his arrival at Villa Park in November — the joint-fifth highest in the Premier League during that period.
However, Villa’s defence will have to be at their best to stunt the Reds’ deadly attack, with tonight’s visitors netting a stunning 87 league goals so far this term.
Silent Salah
After soaring ahead in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, Mohamed Salah’s lead has been reduced to just two goals, following some muted performances in recent weeks.
The Egyptian has netted just three times in his last nine league games, following a run of 19 strikes in his previous 24 outings.
Salah was notably quiet during Saturday’s clash at Anfield, failing to have a shot on target and being dispossessed six times — four more than any other player on the pitch.
But with Heung-Min Son snapping at the 29-year-old’s heels to clinch this season’s top scorer award, Salah will need little motivation to find the net against the Villans.
Reds rotation
This evening’s match will be Liverpool’s 59th game of the season across all competitions, with their ongoing Quadruple quest meaning they will play every fixture possible this term.
And with the Reds also set to contest the FA Cup final on Saturday, Klopp may be forced to rotate his side at Villa Park.
Thiago Alcantara could be the most prominent absentee from the German’s team, in order to prevent the experienced midfielder from overexerting himself at the business end of the campaign.
But the Anfield boss will be fully aware of the risk that decision brings — eight of the 10 times that Liverpool have dropped points in the Premier League this season have come when Thiago has been excluded from the starting line-up.
Reverse fixture
Aston Villa will take plenty of positives from the last time they faced Liverpool despite falling to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
That game was billed as Gerrard’s Merseyside homecoming — and his side received plaudits for their valiant display, including from Klopp himself.
Speaking after the game, he said: “The whole fuss around it was absolutely right but there’s one person for who it isn’t so easy and that was Stevie [Gerrard].
“He is still a Liverpool legend, we cannot change that now and we shouldn’t try to.
“They did really well and obviously fought really hard for a result here, pushed by Stevie.
“It’s all fine and I like that at the end we got the three points anyway.”
The Villa boss will be hoping to go one better and secure a result tonight — even if it has a devastating impact on his former club’s title hopes.
