Aston Villa at home is one of the fixtures Liverpool have struggled with in recent years. Brendan Rodgers is yet to record a victory over the Midlanders at Anfield.
If the Reds’ boss doesn’t get a result against Tim Sherwood’s men on Saturday, it could be curtains for him.
I spoke to Gregg Evans from the Birmingham Mail, to get a sense of how the opposition are feeling going into the game.
Aston Villa have a great record at Anfield in recent years, do you think they’ll fancy their chances at continuing that?
They haven’t lost since 2010 so they will go there full of confidence, well, at least the players who were there last season will. For many of the first-team it’s a new challenge and some of the players haven’t even experienced Anfield. Tim Sherwood has told them no selfies and to remain focused. The win over arch rivals Birmingham City would have helped on Tuesday night.
Brendan Rodgers is under severe pressure at the moment and is the favourite for the sack in the Premier League. Do you think Liverpool should dismiss him?
No. We’re only six games into the season. I think it’s crazy that so many teams and managers are already under such pressure. If only it was Fantasty Football eh. Then we could all use our wildcard.
Do you think Tim Sherwood is under any sort of pressure as a result of Villa’s bad league form?
He’s under pressure to win every week as is every other manager. The fans have already let their frustrations be known after a series of poor results but Villa are no worse (albeit no better) than last term so there’s no reason to panic.
What kind of season do you envisage each side having?
I think Liverpool will improve and just miss out on the top four. If they can keep Sturridge fit for the season it will be interesting to see how his partnership blossoms with Benteke. I think it will be too much of an ask to finish in the Champions League spots though. As for Villa, I do feel they’ll kick on this season and finish somewhere around the mid-table mark. Nothing spectacular but nowhere near as worrying as last season.
How relieved will Villa fans be that Christian Benteke won’t take part on Saturday?
Very. He’s scored a lot of goals at Anfield, you know! The away fans would have applauded him. They recognise the effort he put in during his three years at the club and they appreciate his 49 goals. But they also know his threat, and it would have been typical of Benteke to score against his former club.
Which Liverpool player(s) will Villa fear?
Sturridge, Coutinho, Milner.
Which Villa player(s) should the Reds be wary of?
Jack Grealish is a superstar in the making. He showed his qualities in the FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool last season. He still needs to work harder off the ball but when he has it as his feet, he’s a joy to watch. Jordan Amavi can also provide a serious attacking threat down the left wing, but he’s not so good defensively. If Idrissa Gana passes a late fitness test, he will be a key player. He’s the driving force in the midfield. And Adama Traore has pace to burn. He’s a maverick style player, but is struggling with an injury.
And finally, a score prediction please!
2-1 to Liverpool. Grealish to get Villa’s consolation.
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