Match Preview: Aston Villa v Liverpool

by Dek Hogan 

Who are we playing?
Liverpool on Sunday 14th February at 2ish. Advertised kick off actually 2.05 but we have to wait until Arsenal v Leicester finishes apparently.

Where are we playing?
Villa Park, you may know where it is.The question is, whether you can get a pass out given that it is Valentines Day.


Can I go?
Yep. Plenty of tickets left. Tons. Or check with your disillusioned ore romantically engaged season ticket holding pals. You may well cop a freebie.

When the wife discovers you
are off to the match on Valentines

Easy to get to?
Doddle, but be careful of the trains of a Sunday. Unreliable.

Can I watch it on telly?
Sky. You can get a NOW TV Sky Sports Day Pass for seven quid. It is much better to be there though.

Remi Garde

Big game?
Massive if you still think we can survive.

Massive anyway because who wouldn't want to beat Liverpool? Klopp has found it an uphill struggle to get the sleeping giant to wake up, fairing about as well as the bloke he replaced.

Klopp's arrival proved to be particularly bad news for Christian Benteke, now seemingly consigned to bench warm for all eternity and only getting a start when surrounded by players fresh out of nappies in the odd cup match.

Klopp

Benteke was always going to leave to go somewhere last summer, so it wasn't sour grapes to think he'd chosen the wrong club. It would be a crying shame if Big Chris was allowed to fade into mediocrity because - when he was on it - he was the best striker we've had at Villa Park in decades.

Philippe Coutinho was the player that gave Liverpool their most creative moments early in the season but it is big money buy Roberto Firmino who has caught the eye of late, with six Premier League goals and five assists since he rediscovered his mojo.

"papers like to chat a load of shit really"

The optimists were out in force last weekend, buoyed by a rare Villa win. No
harm in celebrating a victory - we've had precious little opportunity - but let's not get carried away. Norwich were abysmal and we managed to be just as bad for a least half an hour.

Some saw Gabby's goal and performance as heralding a new renaissance. Some of us saw it as more of the first overture of his Villa swansong. The most impressive thing he did was slag off the papers in his post match interview.

Our other goalscorer, one Mister Lescott is a player many of us had written off as past it and it is still true to say that he is not the player he was, but he has been a key part of our mini revival, and certainly shows far more leadership qualities than either of our two captains.

Liverpool certainly have their weaknesses and I would expect Garde to put out a team that can at least compete at some level in the midfield. The worry is whether we carry the firepower to convert that into any sort of result.

Typical Liverpool fans

Do Liverpool have any famous fans?
The odd one or two including Caroline Wozinacki and Lana Del Rey.

We've got fiddle playing scruffbox Nigel Kennedy.

So we win.

Hutton fit

Who's playing for us?

Don't panic but Alan Hutton is fit. Sanchez and Gestede are big risks and unlikely while Grealish has buggered his ankle. Expect a very similar line up to side that faced Norwich. Ayew remains on the naughty step.

Who's playing for them?
Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi are back from injury and Roberto Firmino is on fire so it'll be a surprise if Christian Benteke gets a start, though you just know he'll come off the bench to break our hearts. Defenders Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel have both returned to training but neither will be ready for Sunday. Relegation specialist Steven Caulker is fit.

Any useless stats?

Of course, here you go:

• We have 57 wins over Liverpoolwhile they have 93 victories over us. There have been 40 draws.

• Liverpool have won four of the last six Premier League clashes with us and all of their last four visits to Villa Park.

• Benteke is two goals away from scoring 50 in the Premier League

Prediction
Going for a 2-0 Liverpool win.