Liverpool FC gears up to face Aston Villa this Saturday, May 19th, at Anfield in the Premier League. Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, has announced that his team has only one player out of action for the rest of the season, Phillipe Coutinho, but everyone else is fit and ready to go. Emery is currently a favorite for Manager of the Season due to the massive turnaround he has managed at Villa, a team that was headed towards relegation before he took over. Today, they are fighting for European football, and will hit the Anfield turf with plenty to play for.
While it is difficult to predict what Aston Villa will do, fans should expect a bit of caution from the team and a strong emphasis on defense. Tyrone Mings will be a crucial player for Villa, as he has improved immeasurably this season and limits his mistakes on the ball, which has helped his team immensely. Liverpool can take heart in the fact that Villa’s away form has been poor this season, with their last away win coming against a struggling 10-Man Leicester City and Chelsea last April.
However, Aston Villa remains a solid team and will offer a real test for Liverpool‘s defense. The Reds will have to take their opportunities, and more important, put the ball away against a goalkeeper in excellent form. Meanwhile, for Villa, Ollie Watkins is a striker to watch out for, as he has been playing well the entire season and is not afraid to take on the big teams.
Liverpool‘s starting XI is expected to comprise Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, and Diaz. Klopp himself has stressed that the entire team deserve a mention and recognition, including the departing Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Klopp clearly wants to end on a high and has hinted that Milan and Firmino will likely not play the match in their typical starting role. He will also hope that Anfield’s emotional crowd may prove an added factor in what could be a hard game for Aston Villa.
Liverpool‘s extensive clean sheet record suggests that the Reds’ famous back five will remain unchanged. This has also allowed Klopp some room to shuffle the front three and midfield. Meanwhile, fans should be prepared for a tribute to Liverpool journalist Dan Kay, who passed away unexpectedly last week. Klopp has also expressed his joy at seeing Henderson return to the training field after three or four days of rest and recover from injury.
Referee John Brooks will officiate, with Matthew Wilkes and James Mainwaring assisting, while Michael Oliver will act as fourth official, and Tony Harrington and Nick Greenhalgh will act as VAR and assistant VAR, respectively. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 pm GMT/10 am EST. Fans can follow all the action live on SB Nation.
