Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot, who has quickly won over fans as a potential successor to Jurgen Klopp, handed Leverkusen coach and former Champions League winner Xabi Alonso a tough lesson. Luis Diaz was on fire, scoring a hat-trick, with Cody Gakpo also netting his first Champions League goal in front of an electric Anfield crowd on bonfire night.
The win put Liverpool two points clear at the top of their Champions League group, and they also lead the Premier League, having capitalized on Arsenal and Manchester City's recent stumbles.
Slot’s impressive run has propelled Liverpool back into the Premier League title race, surprising fans who expected another showdown solely between City and Arsenal. His achievements keep piling up, with his side recently surpassing records held by Mourinho and Ancelotti. The commanding win over Leverkusen was Liverpool's sixth consecutive home victory, each featuring at least two goals, while last weekend's comeback against Brighton saw them clinch a Premier League match from a goal down for the 100th time.
In contrast, Villa began their European campaign strongly, defeating teams like Young Boys and Bayern Munich before the Brugge loss. But Villa’s clash against Brugge turned chaotic after captain Tyrone Mings mistakenly picked up a goal kick from his own goalkeeper, giving Brugge a penalty that ended Villa’s perfect run in Europe.
Domestically, Villa are struggling too, recently knocked out of the EFL Cup by Crystal Palace and suffering a 4-1 loss to Tottenham in the league. Now sitting sixth in the table with 18 points, they trail Chelsea and Arsenal on goal difference.
Adding to their challenge, Villa haven't beaten a top-two Premier League team away from home in nearly 25 years, with their last win in such a fixture coming against Leeds in 2000. They've also lost their last nine away games against teams in the league’s top two, and Liverpool, who remain undefeated by Villa in their last eight meetings, will look to keep it that way on Saturday.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool’s injury list remains unchanged, with Harvey Elliott (foot), Federico Chiesa (fitness), Alisson Becker (thigh), and Diogo Jota (abdominal) all out until after the international break.Manager Arne Slot made some bold tactical choices on Tuesday, including placing hat-trick scorer Luis Diaz at center-forward. However, Diaz might shift back to the left wing as Darwin Nunez, fresh from a rest, returns to lead the attack. Another possible change could see Andrew Robertson step in for Kostas Tsimikas, who’s been making a strong case for the starting left-back spot, while Dominik Szoboszlai’s energy might earn him a place over Curtis Jones in midfield.
For Aston Villa, both Matty Cash (calf) and Ross Barkley (unspecified) were unavailable for the Club Brugge game, and manager Unai Emery doesn’t expect them back for the Anfield clash. Captain Tyrone Mings, after a tough Champions League outing, is likely to start on the bench as he’s still working up his fitness post-ACL injury.
That opens up a spot for Pau Torres in defense, while Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey could return to the lineup, potentially replacing Boubacar Kamara and Leon Bailey up front.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Konsa, Torres, Carlos, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
That said, Slot’s Liverpool squad has been unstoppable at Anfield lately, consistently breaking down defenses. With an extra day of rest and the advantage of playing at home, the Reds look well-positioned to hold their top spot heading into the international break.
