Preview:Liverpool vs Aston Villa – prediction, team news, lineups

The best and worst kind of fives could be achieved at Anfield on Saturday evening, when a leaky Liverpool outfit host an ever-improving Aston Villa unit in the Premier League.

The regressing Reds are at risk of losing five successive Premier League games for the first time ever, while the Lions seek five straight league wins at the home of the reigning champions.

Match preview

Eintracht Frankfurt was a false dawn for Liverpool, who had ostensibly turned a corner when they mercilessly put five past the Bundesliga giants in the Champions League, but the hosts’ dire domestic form is showing no sign of ending any time soon.

If Arne Slot‘s men were not already in full-blown crisis mode, defeat to Brentford in the Premier League and Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup – albeit with a squad largely comprising second-string players and academy products – has plunged the ailing holders into even deeper depths.

Slot’s midweek selection was that of a manager who was ‘sacking off’ the EFL Cup – according to a prominent Liverpool journalist – and if the 2024-25 Premier League winner does not oversee improvements against Aston Villa and Real Madrid in the coming days, talk of another type of sack will inevitably grow louder.

The seventh-placed hosts are coincidentally seven points below leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table, and sticking with the theme of sevens, it has been 72 years since Liverpool last lost five straight top-flight matches – suffering that unwanted fate in 1953.

Only one of the Reds’ sorry six defeats from their last seven has come at home in the Premier League, but Liverpool are nevertheless enduring the worst ongoing run in the top flight – their visitors, meanwhile, are the polar opposite.

Indeed, Unai Emery‘s effervescent Villa side are enjoying the best winning run in the 2025-26 Premier League season, after enduring almost the worst possible start to proceedings this summer, in complete stark contrast to the formerly perfect Reds.

Fulham, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and most recently Manchester City have been the Villans’ victims in the top flight of late; Pep Guardiola’s men succumbed to a Matty Cash winner in last weekend’s 1-0 success for the Lions, who are just one place below Liverpool on goal difference.

An unexpected loss to Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League must be taken with a pinch of salt due to Emery’s team selection in the Netherlands, and after failing to score in each of their first four matches of the season, the visitors have netted in each of their last nine.

Trips to the title holders should not fill the Lions faithful with confidence, though, as Aston Villa have lost each of their last 11 Premier League games away to the reigning champions and have won just one of their last 30 – a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2009.

The West Midlands team have also failed to triumph on any of their last seven trips to Anfield – last achieving success in September 2014 courtesy of a Gabby Agbonlahor goal – but if recent results are anything to go by, the time is nigh for that sequence to end.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Aston Villa Premier League form:

Aston Villa form (all competitions):

Team News

There was one crumb of comfort for Liverpool fans after Wednesday’s loss to Palace, as Slot revealed that Ryan Gravenberch is in with a strong chance of returning from his ankle injury in time for the weekend’s game.

Alexander Isak (groin) and Curtis Jones (groin) are more doubtful, though, while Alisson Becker (hamstring), Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) will sit out this game and the visit of Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Young defender Amara Nallo is also suspended after his red card in midweek, but the academy product would have never come into contention for a start anyway.

Among the plethora of star names to return, Mohamed Salah is just one goal or assist away from equalling the Premier League record for the most contributions for a single club – his 275 for Liverpool is one short of Wayne Rooney’s 276 for Manchester United.

As for Aston Villa, Emery cannot call upon Liverpool-owned Harvey Elliott – who is ineligible to face his parent club – but the Englishman was omitted from the squad for the win over Man City anyway.

The Lions could be deprived of two creative options this week after Emiliano Buendia went off with a foot injury last weekend, although the severity of his concern is still unclear, while Youri Tielemans (calf) and Andres Garcia (unspecified) are both out too.

Buendia’s absence will trigger a fierce battle between Jadon Sancho and Donyell Malen for a spot in the forward line; the former replaced his stricken teammate against Man City but was then taken off himself, which was down to fitness reasons rather than a particular poor display.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Malen, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins

We say: Liverpool 2-2 Aston Villa

The majority of Liverpool’s starters might be well-rested, but Aston Villa are too – the Lions had a complete rest in midweek thanks to their early EFL Cup exit and are the most in-form team in the land right now.

There is realistically little to no chance of the hosts wielding the axe on Slot, but both he and his players know just how massive Saturday’s game is after Wednesday’s ignominy. 

While a win may be out of reach owing to their disjointed and permeable defence, we have faith in Liverpool to at least stop the losing rut in an entertaining draw.

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