Matchday Preview: LIVERPOOL v Aston Villa (Premier League)
Venue: Anfield
Date: 15/12/12
Kick-Off: 15:00
Luis Suarez will return for Liverpool against Aston Villa after being suspended for last weekend’s 3-2 victory over West Ham.
Nuri Sahin, who missed the West Ham game because of a broken nose, may also be available but Jose Enrique is a doubt due to a tight hamstring.
Enrique was named as Liverpool’s Standard Chartered Player of the Month for November and he will be sorely missed if he is unavailable for Saturday’s game. Stewart Downing filled in at left-back after Enrique was taken off against West Ham and if the Spaniard is ruled out, Downing may play in defence once more against his former club. Brendan Rodgers’ other options are to play Daniel Agger or Glen Johnson at left-back, or to give youngster Jack Robinson his first league appearance of the season.
Glen Johnson and Joe Cole scored their first league goals of the season against West Ham, but apart from Luis Suarez no Liverpool player has scored more than once in the league. “Own goals” remains the team’s second highest goalscorer, with four of Liverpool’s 22 league goals coming from opposition players.
The Reds will be looking for a fourth straight victory on Saturday and welcome an Aston Villa side to Anfield who have won just once away from home in the league this season. Villa have only won two of their last ten league games, drawing four and losing four. However Paul Lambert’s side were boosted by a 4-1 victory over Norwich in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup quarter final and Lambert will hope to secure at least a point on a ground where Villa drew 1-1 last season.
Villa’s main dangerman is Belgian striker Christian Benteke, who has scored six league goals for the club since signing from Genk in the summer. Benteke has kept Villa’s record signing Darren Bent out of the team and sometimes out of the squad as rumours persist that Bent will move elsewhere in the January transfer window. The former Sunderland striker may miss out again on Saturday after coming off with an injury in midweek.
History is on Liverpool’s side going into Saturday’s game – Aston Villa have only won one of their last ten matches at Anfield. Depending on results elsewhere, a victory over Villa could see Liverpool move up to seventh in the table.
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December 14th, 2012
We need not to take these kind of games so lightly but serious in all games wish henrique was in the squad and suso should also feature in..
December 14th, 2012
Easy win surely , attack attack attack lets see some goals
December 15th, 2012
It should have been ,but you forgot about the BR factor
December 15th, 2012
Point of correction: not only suarez has scored more than once in the league, steven gerrard has scored twice.
This is particularly annoying, seeing it’s coming from a liverpool fan site.
December 15th, 2012
Your right , and one or two of the ‘writers’ know less about LFC than my 7 year old
December 15th, 2012
If Rodgers just did the right thing for once , and dropped Joe Allen – we would have a chance
December 15th, 2012
Joe Allen F*@k off u munschin
December 15th, 2012
Bad day at the office is putting it mildly,the team & management should be embarassed ,after that display,Villa are one of the worst sides this season& will be relegation scrappers.every one needs to get their shit together,I said months back Stevie should no longer be an automatic starter & Suso& Wisdom should be in the mix,as well as Assiddi.B.R needs to man up & make the team selection that delivers results.
December 16th, 2012
He wont drop his bum chum Allen – so things WONT improve