Liverpool welcome Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday (Watch live on NBC, 12:30pm ET and live online via NBC Sports Live Extra) with one thing in mind: goals, goals, goals.
With Brendan Rodgers possessing one of the league’s best striker partnerships in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, from here until the end of the season it’s a case of all-out attack for the Reds. Last time out against Stoke the Merseyside club smashed in five, as the deadly S.A.S. partnership was reunited in devastating fashion. Suarez and Sturridge (who has been out injured since before Christmas) have scored 32 of Liverpool’s 51 PL goals this season and the Reds are the second-highest scoring team in the league behind Manchester City.
Suarez has scored more goals than the entire Aston Villa team this season, as the Villans have netted just 20 times this campaign. However they do have victory at Anfield fresh in their minds, as they beat Liverpool 3-1 away from home last season as Christian Benteke stole the show.
(WATCH: Liverpool vs. Aston Villa live on NBC, 12:30pm ET Saturday and online via Live Extra)
The big Belgian scored against Arsenal on Monday night in a spirited defeat and Villa would give anything for another win against Liverpool to help ease fears of getting sucked into another relegation battle. While Liverpool are hoping three points will help them close the gap on Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City above them as the Reds aim to cement their spot in the top four.
In team news Liverpool are expecting Sturridge to be fit enough to start the game, after returning off the bench last week against Stoke City. The Reds will also welcome back Joe Allen and Mamadou Sakho to the squad.
Villa could give debuts to new loan signings Grant Holt and Ryan Bertrand, who joined this week from Wigan and Chelsea respectively. But defender Nathan Baker will not feature after suffering a concussion against Arsenal on Monday.
What they’re saying...
Brendan Rodgers on Sturridge’s return to fitness: “His qualities and fitness, aligned with what I’ve seen in training, I think show that if we needed him to start, he would be able to. He looks after his body, his body fat, his weight and that natural fitness he has, alongside his work, allows him to come back and make the impact he made last week. He’s again looked very, very good in training, very sharp, and he’ll be at a good level come the weekend.”
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert on Liverpool’s title hopes: “Anfield is a great football venue. The atmosphere will be great. They are playing really well, everyone knows that. They have top players there and Brendan has them going really well. They are hitting form and they are in with a shout to win the title. There’s no two ways about it.”
Prediction
I think Villa will make life incredibly difficult for Liverpool, as they showed against Arsenal on Monday that they can pin teams back and pile plenty of pressure. If Benteke is back in form, a shock could be heading Liverpool’s way. That said, I just can’t see a game when either Suarez or Sturridge aren’t going to score. The two are sublime and given the fact that Villa have less than a goal a game this season, they will have to get a shutout to win. Can Brad Guzan keep a clean sheet? I doubt it. Liverpool win, and it could be a big one.