Liverpool face Aston Villa in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday evening, aiming to arrest their recent slump.
Liverpool won their first five league games but have since lost their last four, becoming the first English top-flight side to do so.
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By contrast, Villa are one of the league’s most in-form teams, with the victory over Manchester City extending their winning streak to four games.
Match preview
Manager Arne Slot is under intense scrutiny, with Liverpool suffering six defeats in their last seven matches, including two consecutive home losses.
Slot fielded a weakened side in the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace and hopes his rested stars deliver in Saturday’s showdown with Villa.
The Reds could be 10 points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal before kickoff, making the game a must-win for them.
Villa will be buoyed by confidence ahead of their visit to Liverpool, given their rich vein of form and the morale-boosting victory over City.
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The Midlands side will be fresher than Liverpool, having sat out the Carabao Cup midweek fixtures.
However, they have just one away win this term and must improve significantly to get a result at Liverpool.
Head-to-head
Since the infamous 7-2 defeat in 2020, Liverpool have yet to lose to Villa, winning seven and drawing three of their previous 10 encounters.
Team news
Slot has confirmed that Ryan Gravenberch could be back, but Curtis Jones and Alexander Isak are doubtful. Alisson Becker, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremie Frimpong remain ruled out.
Meanwhile, Villa will be without Emi Buendia, Youri Tielemans and Andres Garcia.
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Key players
Liverpool
Cody Gakpo: The Netherlands international has two goals in the last three league games.
Dominik Szoboszlai: The versatile midfielder is the Reds’ most consistent player.
Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers: Rogers has registered a goal involvement in three of his last four league games.
Boubacar Kamara: His concentration and tenacity have been pivotal for Villa’s midfield.
Stats from transfermarkt.com & 11v11.com
