Not sure what has happened to ‘fortress’ Villa Park. We’ve only won 1 game in 9. 1 in 9. Disgusting. Liverpool are one of only four clubs (Fulham, WBA and Arsenal) not to have won away from home, but you know what we are like. If another team is on a bad run, we always seem to end that bad run for them. With honours even in the ten Premiership games between Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park, tomorrow is all to play for. We certainly need the points to guarantee we don’t drop into the bottom three, but Liverpool aren’t exactly not in need points wise either!
Vital Quotes:
Baros said: ‘I can’t wait to face Liverpool. I have nothing to prove. What happened is that I moved and you have to move in football if you want to play first-team football. Of course there will be a special motivation because it’s my former club and I’ve still got a lot of friends there. I want to score in every game but it doesn’t matter whether I score, what matters is three points and if we could beat them it would be great.’
Luis Garcia said: ‘We have to become more consistent and follow up our Champions League win in midweek. That is our real aim now and we have to take our chances more. Luck has not gone our way I know and we have missed plenty of scoring opportunities this season, but the most important thing is to keep making the chances. If we maintain the league form we showed on Saturday against West Ham, in a few weeks we will be much higher up the table than we are now.’
Aston Villa Team News:
Baros could be set to feature against his former team after recovering from an Achilles injury. It will be interesting to see if he goes straight back into the team after missing 6 games. Sorenson has recovered from his ankle twist, so is sure to replace Taylor. Former Red Patrick Berger looks set for knee surgery and will miss the game. Angel is also likely to be fit for selection and Lee Hendrie has returned from a couple of months on the sidelines with a knee injury. DLC is also available. (from): Sorensen, Taylor, Delaney, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Samuel, Milner, Bakke, McCann, Hendrie, Davis, De La Cruz, Jumper Jumper, Barry, Phillips, Angel, Moore.
Player to watch: Milan Baros.
If he plays, he will be ‘up for it’ can he get Villa firing on all cylinders?
Liverpool Team News:
Peter Crouch will be returning to Villa Park. Lets hope he isn’t going to ‘do a Vassell’ and prove O’Leary wrong for selling him? Fernando Morientes is facing a late fitness test after he suffered from pains in his knee in the midweek European game v Anderlecht.
Player to watch: Djibril Cisse.
He could just have a field day against our ‘at sixes and sevens’ defence, unless they tighten up naturally! Oh, and best not back off Gerrard either.
Match Facts & Stats
Villa are 16th with 9 points.
Best case: 14th. Worst case: 19th
Current Form League: 17th
Last Six Games: D L L W L L
Home Form League: 15th with 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses.
Liverpool are 13th with 13 points.
Best case 9th, Worst case: 14th.
Current Form League: 12th.
Last Six Games: D D L W L W
Away Form League: 16th win 0 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
Mohamed Sissoko is 1 yellow card short of a one match ban as he has 4 yellows this season.
Villa are 1 draw short of 150 draws in the league. The most of any club. Says it all really. Liverpool are unbeaten against Villa in 8 games in the league and cups.
Last season: Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Solano 44. (Kewell 16)
Overall record in Premiership: A Villa 8 wins, Liverpool 13 wins, Draws 5.
Record at Villa Park in Prem: A Villa 5 wins, Liverpool 5 wins, Draws 3.
Ref Watch:
Steve Bennett, 9 matches, 2 reds, 36 yellows.
Match Prediction:
Mystic Mug is caught between a draw and an away win. BANG. Right, he just fell off the fence and is saying Liverpool to scrape their first away win of the season 1-0. The reason? Unless miracles have happened this week, Villa this season have looked de-motivated, without leadership and ‘tired’. Maybe Baros will make the difference. Lets pray eh?!
Next Fixtures:
19/11/05 (Sunderland)
26/11/05 CHARLTON
03/12/05 (Newcastle)
