The turnaround of games this month is simply absurd, and the Premier League continues to churn out drama as the season’s end approaches.
Steven Gerrard will be welcoming his true football love to Villa Park this Tuesday, with Liverpool making the trip to the midlands. Aston Villa could now be on the beach, and the reds are desperate for victory. The notion of Stevie all but ending the reds hopes are far fetched, but we are where we are.
Aston Villa come into this game as a very inconsistent outfit. They haven’t found their groove under Gerrard as yet, and will be without Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey and Kortney Hause. With a top half finish the main target (they currently sit 11th), Gerrard will probably field the same starting line up which won 1-3 away to Burnley at the weekend. A 3-4-3 system may be retained, however he may look to force Phil Coutinho in the starting line up. Callum Chambers would be the logical player to come out, and would shift the home side into a 4-2-3-1 system with Ings up top.
The reds will be looking to bounce back from their weekend draw against Spurs. The FA Cup final is coming their way this Saturday, so there will have to be some freshening up of the team. Joel Matip should come back in, and Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez will be vying to rotate the usual starters out. Naby Keita almost certainly starts, and Thiago Alcantara will possibly receive a little rest before the final.
Up top could see Divock Origi drafted in, and Diogo Jota will probably be a starting piece. The reds stagnated, and Villa are a team prone to stagnate even more so. The fact is, Liverpool have to react, and Villa will struggle to maintain them over 90 minutes.
With so many mini battle still on going through the league, this will be an interesting tie that pits two legends of Liverpool against one another. Gerrard may one day want the reds hot seat, and this is the type of game where he needs to show more than that common low block. Villa will counter, the reds will have to be patient. A shuffle of the pack may kick start the reds, but some eyes may just avert to the weekends FA Cup Final.
Player to watch – Phil Coutinho
Score Prediction;
Aston Villa 0 – 2 Liverpool
Steven Smith
