An out-of-sorts Liverpool entertain an in-form Aston Villa with the 2 golf equipment solely separated by purpose distinction within the Premier League desk. BBC Sport explores a few of the key themes forward of Saturday evening’s conflict at Anfield.
Liverpool’s unprecedented lack of kind
The defending champions’ drop-off in league kind is unprecedented, with the Reds the primary staff in English top-flight historical past to win their opening 5 matches and lose their subsequent 4.
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Arne Slot’s facet suffered solely 4 Premier League defeats within the entirety of final season and two of these got here after that they had already clinched the title.
This weekend they may lose 5 league matches in a row for the primary time since September 1953.
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A midweek League Cup loss to Crystal Palace lowered the tone at Anfield even additional, though Slot determined to call eight youngsters in his matchday squad and relaxation the vast majority of his most well-liked Premier League staff.
Surprisingly, the go to of Aston Villa could be the required tonic for Slot’s ailing facet. Liverpool have gained six of their final seven league clashes with Villa at Anfield, drawing the opposite. They’ve additionally misplaced simply as soon as to the Midlands facet in 15 Premier League conferences, drawing three and successful 11.
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Villa’s red-hot kind
Aston Villa are one in all simply two Premier League groups on a present run of 4 consecutive victories within the competitors, together with league leaders Arsenal.
The upturn in Villa’s kind is a whole distinction to their opponents and if Unai Emery’s facet take all three factors then they’d turn into simply the second facet in top-flight historical past to fail to win any of their first 5 video games after which triumph within the subsequent 5 in a row, following Preston North Finish in 1936.
A key protagonist in Villa’s mini mid-season revival has been right-back Matty Money and the 28-year previous
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The Polish worldwide scored the one purpose of the sport in opposition to Manchester Metropolis final Sunday and is one in all solely 4 gamers to attain twice from exterior the field within the Premier League this season, together with Bournemouth ahead Antoine Semenyo, Brighton striker Danny Welbeck and Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo.
“To be sincere, I’ve all the time had an excellent shot, I’ve simply by no means actually proven it in video games,” Money mentioned final weekend. “This season it appears to be going my method and each time I get the ball on the sting of the field, I’ve acquired confidence and really feel like I’ll hit the goal numerous the time.”
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Nevertheless, historical past is in opposition to the guests this weekend. Not solely is their latest document in opposition to Liverpool abysmal, however the Villans have additionally misplaced their previous 11 video games in opposition to the defending Premier League champions, conceding 35 instances within the course of.