Aston Villa vs. Liverpool Preview

Two of the Premier League’s greatest underachievers will square off at Villa Park on December 18 as Aston Villa host Kenny Dalgleish’s new look Liverpool side.

Villa’s prospects for the season already look incredibly thin following a series of draws and drab performances which have left them in mid table and well off the pace for European qualification.

Alex McLeish has managed to stabilise the Villain’s after a period which has seen them lose a whole host of their best players including Gareth Barry and James Milner.

With funding largely restricted, the Midland’s outfit have set themselves up as a team who are extremely tough to beat, to compensate for their lack of attacking quality and flair.

Liverpool meanwhile have shown glimpses of what they are capable of and Dalgleish undoubtedly has a lot of quality at his disposal.

Nevertheless, the long term injury to Steven Gerrard has left the Reds without a long term leader and they have consequently struggled to maintain any sort of consistency which is required to challenge for the Premier League title.

Liverpool’s ever loyal fans can definitely expect some glory in the years to come, however for now it appears as if a top four finish is the best they can hope for.

Champions League qualification will be paramount to the club moving forward if they are to challenge for honours and Dalgleish will be looking at this fixture as one that his side must win in order to keep themselves firmly in the hunt.

Gerrard’s absence visibly leaves a creative gap in the Liverpool side as well as the presence of someone to stoke things up when the chips are down.

Villa’s lack of invention and deep defending means that Liverpool will have to find a way of getting in behind and cutting through a defence which has been rock solid on the main against teams outside of the top four.

So far, the Kop faithful are yet to see the best from new additions Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll and it is understandable that concerns are already circulating regarding the true quality and credentials of the latter following his somewhat rushed last minute £35 million move from Newcastle United in January.

This fixture shouts out everything but goals – and a draw certainly looks the way to go at 12/5.

Should Villa manage to kill the game as they have done on many occasions so far this season, a drab 0-0 could well be on the cards and it is definitely worth a stab at around 8/1. McLeish looks to be biding his time in the long run as well as in each match and he will be hoping to try and build a solid foundation of players to kick on next season. Whilst draws may be giving Villa confidence, it is victories which Liverpool are hungry for as they seek to close the gap on the teams at the top of the table who they were once competitive with.

If anything, this game is likely to confirm what both sets of fans already know – however a victory for either side could be just enough to transform a season and inject some spark back into the football of either Villa or the Pool.

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12/12/2011     © Frixo 2024