Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Liverpool have been on quite the post-Christmas hangover. The Premier League leaders are now winless in their last three matches after defeat to Southampton in midweek.
The Reds will be desperate to shake off that extended hangover in the third round of the FA Cup. However, that will be easier said than done as they take on an Aston Villa side that continues to play well and will be eager to repeat their remarkable 7-2 win over Liverpool at Villa Park earlier this season.
Talking Points
Villa support players stepping up
Aston Villa will head into their third-round FA Cup tie on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, their first loss in their last six matches.
But despite losing, Villa still played well at Old Trafford. They also held their own in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the match prior.
Villa manager Dean Smith has not made many changes to his side. Instead, he has continued to field a settled and balanced starting XI that has played well on both ends of the pitch.
The Villa attack, led by Jack Grealish, has scored in all but two Premier League games this season. Although, Grealish and main striker Ollie Watkins have both gone on extended goal droughts of late; neither scored a single goal in December.
Thankfully, wingers Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore have stepped up in the interim. El Ghazi had scored five goals in his five games prior to the United match, while Traore has three goals in his last four.
Meanwhile, the defence continues to exceed expectations. Despite conceding twice at Old Trafford, Villa still have the third-best defensive record in the Premier League with just 16 goals.
Liverpool forwards misfiring
Liverpool are not looking good at the moment. After thumping Crystal Palace 7-0, they have failed to win each of their last three Premier League matches, scoring just a single goal during that span. They suffered shock draws against relegation-threatened West Brom and Newcastle. Then, the lost 1-0 away to Southampton.
The Liverpool attack, which has been so consistent this season and leads the league with 37 goals, has now been held goalless in consecutive games. That’s despite their vaunted front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino starting in all three games.
With Diogo Jota still unavailable due to a bruised knee, Jurgen Klopp has tried to shake things up by bringing on Xherdan Shaqiri in the last two games, but the Swiss has not made much of an impact.
It remains to be seen whether Klopp will stick with his misfiring front three of if he decides to make more changes at Villa Park.Klopp must also decide whether he will stick with captain Jordan Henderson as a makeshift centre-back in place of the injured Joel Matip or turn to Nat Phillips or Rhys Williams.
Although, Klopp is likely to give Thiago Alcantara another start. The Spanish midfielder finally returned from his long injury layoff after coming on as a substitute against Newcastle, then started in the loss at Southampton.
With his creativity and range of passing, Thiago is just the type of player who can create some FA Cup 2021 highlights and get Liverpool out of their current rut in front of goal.
History
Liverpool have a significant 96-59 edge in wins over Aston Villa in their all-time head-to-heads, with 40 draws. However, the Villans have held their own in recent years, with four wins in their last nine matches in all competitions.
As mentioned earlier, Villa delivered a stunning 7-2 hammering of Liverpool at home earlier in the season. Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick in that match, while Jack Grealish capped the win off with a second-half brace.
Villa have also knocked Liverpool out in their last two cup meetings. Granted, their 5-0 win over the Reds in the 2019 League Cup was against a Liverpool side composed entirely of youngsters. But Villa did beat a then Brendan Rodgers-led Liverpool side 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-finals back in 2015.
Villa’s SBOTOP FA Cup 2021 odds to win this year’s tournament aren’t particularly great – they are currently priced at 41.00 – but if they can get past Liverpool, they can certainly be a team that can make a run at the cup.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
