Liverpool vs Aston Villa

One of the most exciting fixtures in the Premier League this weekend pits high-flying Liverpool and out-of-form Aston Villa against each other at Anfield.

Arne Slot made history last weekend, becoming the first-ever Liverpool manager to win eight of his first ten top-flight games in charge of the Reds (D1, L1). His side registered their 100th come-from-behind win in the Premier League against Brighton (2-1) to move two points clear at the top of the table. Buoyed by their impressive league campaign, Liverpool continued to rain terror in the UEFA Champions League during midweek, maintaining their 100% four-game record (W4) with a 4-0 demolition of reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield. Except for a shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in mid-September, this venue has been a fortress under Slot, with the Merseyside giants winning all seven remaining home matches in all competitions, five of which via multiple-goal margins.

On the other hand, Aston Villa’s noticeable fall from grace culminated in midweek Champions League action as Club Brugge beat them 1-0, denying them a chance to become the first debutant at Europe’s top table to win their first four matches. More importantly, it was Villa’s third consecutive defeat in all competitions. That dismal run includes a disastrous 4-1 loss at Tottenham last weekend, meaning the Lions have only won once in their five most recent Premier League outings (D3, L1). Therefore, they should consider themselves lucky for starting this round level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea. Another upset is on the horizon, considering Unai Emery has only defeated Liverpool once as a manager (D3, L7).