English Premier League: Liverpool vs. Aston Villa Preview, Odds, Prediction

Steven Gerrard is back to Anfield, but this time as Aston Villa‘s manager. Steve G will be playing against Liverpool for the first time in his life, but we are more than sure that the Reds supporters won’t hold that against their favorite. He is simply too big of a legend for them to have a hostile reception or some negative feelings involved. Though, we don’t expect Jurgen Klopp and the boys to have such an approach on the field. Liverpool needs a win here, and we are more than sure that the hosts are going to be 100% focused on smashing Villa.

Prediction

Liverpool (-400) comes back home from Italy, where they’ve eliminated the big rivals, and the seven-time European champions, AC Milan, from the UCL. Rossoneri needed a win in that matchup, but eventually, the English side was better, 1-2.

That was the sixth straight win for the Reds, who allowed only two goals in that period, keeping four clean sheets. On the other side, Salah and the company scored 17 goals, keeping their form at the highest possible level.

L’pool is especially ferocious at home, where they have seven wins and three draws since the start of the campaign. In all but one event, the Reds scored two or more goals, while in the previous four, Alisson kept his net intact. Klopp really has the most potent attack in the world at his disposal.

Aston Villa (+1000) showed some signs of life following Gerrard’s arrival. Since Steve G took over the wheel, they won three and lost one game, and that sole failure came against Manchester City at Villa Park, 1-2. Overall, the team is playing much better, and we definitely see a positive change on the field.

Villa’s scorers woke up, and there hasn’t been a single game since Gerrard sat on the bench without his boys delivering at least one hit. Now, the Villans defeated Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Leicester, netting twice in each clash.

It is vital to say that all four matches under Gerrard saw 2 or 3 goals, meaning a moderate efficiency and that only one, his debut vs the Seagulls, didn’t end with both teams scoring.

Latest News

Firmino is out, the same as Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones.

Villa has a bit biger trougles. Danny Ings is questionable, the same as Matt Targett. Meanwhile, Bertrand Traore and Leon Bailey are definitely out for Saturday’s contest.

Head to Head Games

We all remember the defeat Liverpool suffered at Villa Park from October 2020, when hosts packed seven goals in Alisson’s net, 7-2. Yet last season, the Reds were merciless, 1-4 in Birmingham and 2-1 at home.

Prediction

This is a spectacle for the fans who have a chance to see Gerrard back home. It will be pretty emotional. But even so, Mane, Salah, and the rest of the crew won’t have any feelings for Villa’s keeper, and we expect to see Liverpool’s easy win here. The odds on the Reds to win by at least a two-goal margin are quite solid -166.

Pick: Liverpool -1.5 -166