Image copyright: Getty Images
2022/23 English Premier League
Matchday 37
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Anfield
Liverpool, England
Saturday, 20 May 2023
Kick-off is at 16h00
Premier League top-four hopefuls Liverpool will be looking to keep the momentum going when they welcome Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday, May 20.
The Reds continued their late push for UEFA Champions League football when they beat Leicester 3-0 at the King Power Stadium on Monday to stay within touching distance of Newcastle (3rd) and Manchester United (4th) in fifth position.
Jurgen Klopp's side have closed within a point of the duo after embarking on a nine-match unbeaten run, including seven straight wins - the first time they've shown this sort of consistency in 2022-23.
Image copyright: Getty Images
The Villans were in the mix themselves before back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Manchester United and Wolves ended their hopes of Champions League nights at Villa Park.
Unai Emery has done a magnificent job of turning around their fortunes since replacing Steven Gerrard at the helm in November, winning 12 of his 21 games to take Villa to the brink of Europe.
A 2-1 home win over Tottenham last Saturday took the West Midlands giants within a point of Brighton (6th) in eighth place as they stayed three clear of Brentford (9th), who also won at the weekend.
Douglas Luiz is enjoying his most productive season in a Villa shirt and has played an integral role under Emery. The Brazilian midfielder has featured in all but one of Villa's 36 games and scored the winner against Spurs to make it five goals and five assists for the campaign - his best return at Villa Park.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Curtis Jones has struggled to establish himself at Anfield this term but has been given a chance to impress in the continued absence of Thiago Alcantara of Naby Keita, starting the last nine matches. The 22-year-old midfielder opened his account against Tottenham on April 30 and helped set up victory over the Foxes with a brace.
In team news, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic (both groin) and Calvin Ramsay (knee) remain unavailable for the hosts, although Keita, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez (ankle) could be back in contention. Jed Steer (calf) and Philippe Coutinho (muscular) are the only absentees for the visitors.
Klopp still sees plenty of room for improvement but is urging his players to keep going as they look to ramp up the pressure on United and the Toon in the final two weeks.
"We are in a good moment. We were not always convincing but we always had convincing moments in the games and we increase now," the German said.
"What we have to do, especially when you think about next season, we have to be more and longer in charge of the game. Not each moment where we put the foot a little bit off the gas should lead to a no-brainer for the opponent or that Ali [Alisson] has to make a save. How I said, there's so much space to improve.
"I have no clue what it means to others... but it keeps you on your toes and that's our job. We have to keep them on their toes and then we will see what happens."
Emery hailed another consistent display against Spurs, which brought a sixth consecutive home win and he wants more of the same when they travel to Merseyside in a bid to stay in the hunt for Europe.
"Today we took one step ahead, getting better," the Spaniard said. "The first half today we played a really good 45 minutes against a difficult team. We were trying to get into the top seven positions, like we are now, and fighting for a position in Europe.
"The most important is to be consistent in our way. We are going to play next week against Liverpool away and against Brighton here. Hopefully we can keep our option to be with them and have an opportunity to be in Europe."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Liverpool - 4
Aston Villa - 1
Draws - 0
Matchday 37 fixtures:
Saturday, May 20
13h30: Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford
16h00: Bournemouth v Manchester United
16h00: Fulham v Crystal Palace
16h00: Liverpool v Aston Villa
16h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
18h30: Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Sunday, May 21
14h30: West Ham United v Leeds United
15h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Southampton
17h00: Manchester City v Chelsea
Monday, May 22
21h00: Newcastle United v Leicester City
Sign up at Betway and enjoy solid action and heart-racing thrills when you bet on soccer leagues such as the Spanish La Liga, the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A and many more
Ready to take your shot?
Are you ready for some heart-pumping, adrenaline-rushing fun? Then it's time to step onto the field and show off your skills in the electrifying casino game.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.