Barney Ronay on Naby Keïta
"It's all about the team, without the team, I'm nothing"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2022
A humble Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson reflect on a vital win for Liverpool this evening 👇 pic.twitter.com/B4BOrEBCsd
That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report - goodnight.
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⚽️ Teams with 3 players scoring 15+ PL goals in a single season:
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) May 10, 2022
2013-14 MAN CITY
Yaya Toure
Sergio Aguero
Edin Dzeko
2021-22 LIVERPOOL
Mohamed Salah
Diogo Jota
Sadio Mane pic.twitter.com/cZSeu9zcm3
Here’s the winning goal from Sadio Mane, which I forgot to post because I am a scatterbrained mess. What a great header though.
"Mané does what Mané does best!" 🔥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2022
Liverpool turn things around at Villa Park! pic.twitter.com/un417b3GKn
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It wasn’t a perfect night for Liverpool. They didn’t get to massage their goal difference, and Fabinho went off with a hamstring injury in the first half. But a win is a win is a win, and it keeps the pressure on Manchester City ahead of their trip to Wolves tomorrow.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 35 | 68 | 86 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 36 | 65 | 86 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 35 | 39 | 67 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 35 | 14 | 66 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 20 | 62 |
Full time: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Peep peep! Liverpool move level on points with Manchester City witha hard-fought win at Villa Park. They had to come from behind after Douglas Luiz gave Villa the lead in the third minute. But Joel Matip equalised straight away and the in-form Sadio Mane won it in the 65th minute with a superb header.
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90+4 min Martinez’s free-kick is cleared by a combination of Matip and Alexander-Arnold.
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90+4 min A free-kick on the halfway line gives Villa one last chance...
90+2 min Ings’ corner is headed over by Buendia at the near post. He was under pressure and it wasn’t much of a chance. Villa have played pretty well tonight, and you can make a case for 1-2 or 2-2 being a fair result.
90+2 min van Dijk takes the ball off the toes of Ings, who had rolled Matip cleverly in the area. Ings has been terrific in the last quarter of the game.
90 min Four minutes of added time. Naby Keita is down, and Jurgen Klopp - who has been animated throughout the second half - is trying to get Mo Salah’s attention about something or other.
89 min Cash shoots into the side netting from the right corner of the area. Alisson had it covered, and it was a poor decision with Ings and Buendia waiting in the area.
88 min The home crowd appeal for handball when the ball hits van Dijk on the edge of the area. Jon Moss isn’t interested, nor are team VAR.
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70 min Emi Buendia replaces Philippe Coutinho. (Yep, I did miss it - sorry.)
85 min: Ings has a goal disallowed! It was a cracking finish, rifled under Alisson from a tight angle, but he was well offside. And deep down he knew it.
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84 min: Good save by Alisson! Villa are still in this. Ings, surrounded by defenders, abracadabras enough space to shoot from a tight angle. Alisson moves to his right to save and pushes the ball just wide of Chukwuemeka following up.
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83 min A sweet half-volley from Keita, 25 yards from goal, swirls just wide. Martinez had it covered but it was a lovely strike.
81 min Ollie Watkins is replaced by Bertrand Traore. I think Watkins may have jarred or pulled something during a challenge with van Dijk.
80 min “Hello Rob,” writes Becky Scarrott. “I wrote the piece you linked to at half-time – thank you for mentioning it! Can confirm he genuinely is a lovely guy. Makes a mean cappuccino too.”
Referees with personalities and/or lives are emphatically a Good Thing. See also: Dean, Michael.
79 min After good build-up play from Villa, Ings’ speculative cross on the turn is booted clear by Alexander-Arnold.
77 min Salah has a shot blocked by Mings after nice play by Jota. A third Liverpool goal feels imminent, but as I say I’m not one for predictions.
76 min Tsimikas’s outswinging corner is headed straight at Alisson by Matip, quite an achievement given that Alisson is 90 yards away. I meant Martinez obviously.
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75 min: Off the line! Mane’s clever chest/volley from the right side of the six-yard box is headed off the line by Cash. It may have been going wide by Cash took no chances.
74 min A couple of crosses from Alexander-Arnold, who hhas had an outstanding game, as cleared desperately by Villa. Liverpool have been much the better side in the second half, yet even then Villa had a big chance to equalise. They remain a threat is what I’m saying.
72 min Salah almost gets through straight away, running onto a long pass by Keita. Konsa does quite well to hold him up and then Salah overruns the ball through to Martinez.
72 min “Jon Moss will be selling a few more Beatles albums and Merseybeat compilations tomorrow!” says Terry Weston. “Humph!”
Has he been that bad? There have been a few decisions here and there but nothing major, or has my short-term memory gone to pot?
71 min: Liverpool substitution Mo Salah replaces Luis Diaz, who did nothing except create what might be the winning goal.
69 min: Chance for Ings! Watkins times a through pass perfectly for Ings, who beats the high line for once but then overruns the ball fractionally. That allows Alisson to charge out and make a trademark one-on-one save. Nobody does it better.
67 min I was just about to type that Diaz and Jota had swapped wings when Diaz made the goal. He’s actually back on the right now, a decision which would invite criticism if it wasn’t for Jurgen Klopp knowing a gazillion times more about football management than I do.
That’s an excellent goal. Thiago won the ball in midfield and found Mane. He moved it to Jota, who clipped a really good pass out to Diaz on the left. He ran at Mings and hit a flat cross towards Mane, who steered a superb header across Martinez. Mane was actually backpedalling as the ball came to him, but he reacted so smartly and controlled the header perfectly.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool (Mane 65)
Luis Diaz moves to the left wing and makes a goal straight away!
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65 min Villa haven’t been as threatening on the break in the second half. It feels like Liverpool are slowly wearing them down before scoring an 83rd-minute winner, but I’ve never been one for predictions.
63 min: Liverpool substitution And a change for Liverpool: Thiago replaces Curtis Jones.
62 min “I’m not sure what makes you RT,” says Francis Mead, “but your reference to ‘Liverpoo’ at 32 mins may be an indication of Putinistic tendencies.”
What was it Frasier Crane said? “There are no accidents.”
62 min: Villa substitution Carney Chukwuemeka comes on for Marvelous Nakamba in midfield. I guess Douglas Luiz will drop into the bouncer role in front of the back four.
61 min “Bring on Salah for Jones,” says Joe Pearson. “Move Jota into the midfield. Put Mane in the middle. Please.”
I hate to break it to you, but Mane’s already playing in the middle. Salah will be on soon though, NQAT.
60 min Cash’s excellent cross is well defended by Matip, who had Watkins (I think) waiting behind him.
60 min This entry is exclusively for as-it-stands junkies.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 35 | 68 | 86 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 36 | 64 | 84 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 35 | 39 | 67 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 35 | 14 | 66 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 20 | 62 |
59 min “My respect for Jon Moss went up enormously when he didn’t send off Stevie B at Leicester,” says Yash Gupta. “That day was my birthday and is still the most WTF moment. Still I want a Villa result for nothing other than another Klopp meltdown.”
The Stevie B?
57 min Alexander-Arnold thrashes the free-kick wide of the far post. It was a clever idea, to hit it across goal with power rather than curl it towards the near side, but he didn’t get the execution right.
55 min Liverpool have upped the tempo since half-time. Mane is fouled by McGinn 25 yards from goal, which gives Alexander-Arnold another chance. This free-kick is more central than the last.
54 min Mo Salah is among the Liverpool players warming up. Not sure why I bothered telling you this, as it would be more of a story if he wasn’t warming up. The front three haven’t played that well tonight - I’m loath to draw sweeping conclusions from one performance, but Diaz feels more natural and dangerous when he plays from the left.
52 min Ings flicks a neat through pass to Watkins, whose slightly heavy touch allows Tsimikas to make a crucial interception. That was superb defending - if not quite worth a goal, then at least worth 0.4 on the old xG.
50 min Coutinho beats van Dijk smoothly but then slips in the penalty area. Van Dijk had got back anyway so it wasn’t a clear chance. At the other end, Martinez just beats Diaz to a through pass.
49 min “I think Russia Today (RT) would give a less myopic report than yours,” eulogises Richard Mortiboys.
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48 min Alexander-Arnold curls a gorgeous free-kick just wide of the near post. Martinez was flying desperately across his goal and may have it covered. May.
47 min Konsa fouls somebody, don’t ask me who, 25 yards from goal. The free-kick is a fair way to the left of centre, though not prohibitively so...
47 min “Lively game,” says Roy Everitt, “but is Jon Moss letting it flow or just missing a lot of fouls?”
He’s definitely a Spiritualized fan. Or maybe it’s Toni Braxton.
46 min Peep peep!
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“Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Of course the really big game tonight is the first leg of the play-off between Inverness and Arbroath to see who goes forward to face St. Johnstone for a place in next season’s Scottish Premiership. If the reports are accurate, promotion could be worth as much as (brings little finger to lips) one million dollars to the winners. It’s just finished 0-0, so all to play for.”
I’m not sure why I laughed quite so hard as I did when I read “it’s just finished 0-0”.
“There’s something about Jon Moss that reminds me of Ernie Wise,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Jurgen just needs to place his hands on his shoulders at the end of the match and pat his cheeks. Funny old game.”
My respect for Jon Moss - which, I’ll be honest, was middling - went up enormously when I found out he had his own vinyl shop.
Half time: Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Peep peep! The scoreline is a fair reflection of an entertaining first half. Douglas Luiz and Joel Matip scored inside the first six minutes, and both sides had a number of good openings after that. The best chance fell to Naby Keita, who missed his kick 10 yards from goal.
Liverpool also lost Fabinho with a hamstring injury. The Champions League final is in 18 days time, so he still has a chance of making that.
45+4 min A spectacular corner from Alexander-Arnold, slashed beyond the far post at pace, is headed back across goal by Jota, and Cash makes a brave headed clearance before being clattered by Mane. That was a ridiculous corner from Alexander-Arnold, whose ball-striking ability is just extraordinary.
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45+1 min Jones makes space neatly on the left edge of the box but then shoots over the bar.
45 min Three added minutes.
43 min Nakamba gives the ball away to Jones, 25 yards out. He moves to the edge of the D and shapes a curling shot that is too close to Martinez.
39 min Villa are really unhappy with some refereeing decisions, the latest a free-kick against Coutinho. It was a foul, but moments earlier Coutinho seemed to be taken out off the ball by Alexander-Arnold.
34 min: What a chance for Keita! This could easily be 3-3. Alexander-Arnold considers a crowded penalty area and instantly calculates that the best option is a calm pass towards the unmarked Keita, 10 yards out. Keita misses his kick and the ball bounces off his standing foot to safety. That was a great chance.
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33 min Coutinho cuts inside from the left, plays a one-two with Digne and whips an imaginative shot over the bar. It was a typical Coutinho effort, just a few yards too high. He has livened up after a quiet start.
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32 min: Mane has a goal disallowed! It was a fantastic move from Liverpoo, but Diaz was well offside before he gave Mane an open goal.
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30 min “Is Allison having one of his iffy games?” asks Pat D’Arcy. “He’s due one every couple of years...”
He is, though we’re only half an hour in. There’s still time for him to make four quietly awesome one-on-one saves.
29 min: Liverpool substitution Fabinho is replaced by Jordan Henderson. He’s able to walk off, so it might just be a precaution. But I’ll be surprised if we see him before Paris.
28 min If they take Fabinho off now, and it’s a strain rather than a tear, he could still make the Champions League final in 18 days time. He must be a huge doubt for the FA Cup final though.
27 min It looks like Fabinho has injured his left hamstring. This is a huge worry for Liverpool, as he’s basically irreplaceable.
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26 min Coutinho’s deep, angled cross is headed down dangerously by Mings and cleared by Matip. Liverpool look really vulnerable defensively.
24 min: Chance for Ings! This is a cracking game. Villa take a short corner on the left and work it back to McGinn, whose beautiful outswinging cross is headed over by Ings eight yards out. That was a really good chance, with Alisson in no man’s land.
23 min Villa’s counter-attacking threat is such that Fabinho is having to put out a lot of fires, not always by conventional or legal means. He’s been penalised a couple of times but not yet booked.
21 min Play the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme: Alisson receives a pass from Fabinho just outside the area, kicks the ball straight at Watkins and is lucky that it rebounds straight to him. Even then he almost fell over, such was his panic, but he gathered himself in time to clear.
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19 min: Just wide from Mane! Tsimikias - what a good player he is by the way - swings over a lovely cross from the left. Mane towers over Mings and powers a header back across goal that flies just wide. Martinez didn’t move.
18 min Jota’s slightly tame shot is blocked by Konsa. But this is starting to look a little ominous for Villa.
18 min Jota is fouled neared the corner flag by Konsa, a daft piece of defending. Tsimikas’s free-kick is headed towards goal and blocked by Cash, who desperately boots the loose ball clear.
17 min “Whatever about Liverpool and The Bench, we’re certainly not seeing Villa on The Beach tonight, which is to their credit,” says Justin Kavanagh.
So which of the Villa team is Leo playing?
15 min The game is starting to settle down after that frantic start. Liverpool are having more of the ball but Villa are a big threat on the break. Coutinho has been very quiet so far; it’s Watkins, McGinn and Douglas Luiz who have been most dangerous.
13 min And here’s the equaliser.
What a response from Liverpool!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2022
Joël Matip pokes the ball home and what a start we've had here at Villa Park! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gE2Y4vnp9b
12 min Villa are right up for this. Cash plays a give-and-go with Douglas Luiz and sidefoots a dangerous cross that is sliced across the six-yard box by Matip. Eventually the ball comes to Digne, who sprays over from 15 yards.
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11 min Villa look lively in transition, with Watkins’ movement especially good. He pulls wide to receive McGinn’s long pass but then crosses too close to Alisson.
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10 min “This has the feel of one of those end-of-season matches that finishes 5-3 to one or the other,” says Patrick Crumlish. “I always enjoyed those when there was nothing at stake. Tonight, not so much.”
9 min Tsimikas’s cross - I think it was a cross - almost loops over Martinez, who jumps backwards to grab the ball with both hands.
8 min Here’s the first goal.
ASTON VILLA LEAD! 😮
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2022
Douglas Luiz slams the ball home from close range and what a goal this could be in the race for the title! pic.twitter.com/JSozF374ZS
Villa made a mess of dealing with Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick, first Mings and then Nakamba. Van Dijk’s shot was well saved by Martinez but Matip turned the rebound in from six yards.
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GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool (Matip 6)
Jurgen Klopp is no longer unhappy!
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5 min Jurgen Klopp is unhappy. Liverpool felt Watkins was offside when his shot was saved by Alisson. It was very tight, though I suspect he was fractionally off. But there were around 10-15 seconds between that and the goal.
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Alisson made a smart save from Watkins, but Liverpool couldn’t clear the danger. Eventually Digne’s cross was headed towards goal by Douglas Luiz at the far post. Alisson made an unconvincing save and Luiz - once of Manchester City - gobbled up the rebound from a few yards.
Tsimikas, Matip and Watkins well all on the floor when the goal went in, but I think they just tripped over one another. Either way, the goal stands!
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool (Douglas Luiz 3)
Villa take the lead in the third minute!
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2 min Liverpool have started with Mane up front, Jota on the left and Diaz on the right. That’s a bit of a surprise given Diaz’s recent form on the left.
1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in their off-white away strip, kick off from right to left.
The players are coming out. This is a must-win game for Liverpool, ideally a win-by-three-or-four game.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 35 | 68 | 86 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 35 | 64 | 83 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 35 | 39 | 67 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 35 | 14 | 66 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 20 | 62 |
“Penny for the thoughts of Harry Kane tonight,” says David Wall. “On a different subject, they’ve been discussing on the radio whether City have ever signed someone of Haaland’s status before. Does no one remember when they signed Robinho? Sure, he’d perhaps flattered to deceive a little in the couple of years before, but he was still incredibly high profile. He was expected to be THE big thing only a few years before. That said, I expect Haaland is pretty clear about which club he’s joining, and you’d think it’ll go better than Robinho’s move did.”
All very fair points. You could make a case for Yaya Toure as well, though I guess Haaland is more coveted. We should patent a Statusometer for transfers like this, pull the data right of our well never mind.
The pre-match thoughts of Jurgen Klopp, Esq.
🗣️"We have the quality and that's why we use it"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 10, 2022
Jurgen Klopp looks ahead to tonight's Premier League clash against Aston Villa and explains his decision to make five changes to his starting line-up👇 pic.twitter.com/0zaHREZCT3
“My son is always telling me that you get ‘six goals, six assists’ from Coutinho every season, ‘no more, no less’,” says Gary Naylor. “I haven’t checked his balance to pay for 2021-22, but if they all come tonight, I fancy Villa 7-2. (Okay, 2-1).”
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“Regarding your response to Peter Oh,” begins Harriet Osborn. “I’m not sure I like the suggestion one of The Bench is about to get a season-ender, or with your casting of Sean Bean! Although Pegg as Kelleher and Statham as Milner could work.”
Oh I wasn’t talking specifically about the Liverpool subs. I was just fantasising about a film called The Bench, ideally with an enigmatic voiceover from Alan Ford. (NB: clip contains language)
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“Can I just say that I object to my potential monthly Guardian financial contribution being potentially used to potentially fund false feuds between top managers who clearly respect each other and do not in any way ‘accuse’ the other of looking for excuses,” says Ian Copestake. “Why does the rhetoric for these stories have to be ramped up to levels of non-existent conflict? Not accusing you though, Bobby Robster. I am, in the parlance of our times, just saying.”
What do you make of this new age of passive-aggressive feuds between managers? Do you like them, Ian? Do you? Do you? I think I preferred the days when Wenger and Ferguson openly called each other effers.
Anyway, enough of Erling Haaland. We’re half an hour away from Aston Villa v Liverpool, the latest in a never-ending series of huge games for Liverpool.
“As a ‘not’ City supporter, my only thing to cling to is the injury record of Haaland this season,” says Brendan Large. “He has missed a few games and that might limit him to only the 40 goals in the PL *crosses fingers*. But as a football fan I am very curious to see if he can turn them into even more of winning machine. It is a scary prospect but also makes me look forward to next season already.”
Same here, it’ll be a fascinating story whatever happens. He’ll score millions, surely, but I suspect he’ll ultimately be judged on the quality of his goals (in this case the timing and significance) rather than the quantity. Shall we just call him a flat-track bully now and get it over with?
‘Good luck with that’ department
1978-79 v 1987-88 v 2021-22
“Will Haaland break the mould for BVB players going abroad with big reputations?” says Mel Lynam. “The only real successes of their players moving on is when they head to Bayern.”
That’s slightly harsh on people like Aubameyang and Gundogan, but it’s a very good point nonetheless. Haaland feels like a different beast, though.
“That Liverpool bench is very imposing,” says Peter Oh. “Those guys might as well put on brass knuckles and tap baseball bats into their palms as they wait for their turn. I reckon you’ll have to spell it with a capital B. Not just a bench. The Bench.”
The Bench: starring Jason Statham and Sean Bean, with a surprisingly menacing turn from Simon Pegg.
Who’s got an alibi for Saturday night?
“I am hoping that Haaland will be more of a Benteke/Lukaku/Carroll signing than a Toshack to all of Pep’s little Keegans!” weeps Ian Copestake. “But I live in hope and expectation rather than as currently in Koreatown, LA.”
I do think there’s an element of risk, as there is with all signings I suppose. We know Haaland will turn 3-0s into 12-0s in the Premier League, but all that really matters is whether he turns 5-6s into 7-6s in Europe. I suspect he will but it’s not a sure thing.
“So will this be the Premier League’s last title race for the next five years?” writes Rob Hisnay. “I say that as, with Manchester City signing Erling Haaland, it doesn’t look good for the competitiveness of the Premier League.”
Folk said the same when Manchester United signed Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2001, and when Chelsea bought Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko in 2006. Both teams won the title only once in the next five years. I mean, Haaland may well score 50 goals by November, but I’m keeping an open mind for now, especially with Jurgen Klopp around.
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Team news
Steven Gerrard makes two changes from Aston Villa’s win at Burnley on Saturday. Marvelous Nakamba and Philippe Coutinho replace Calum Chambers and Emi Buendia.
Jurgen Klopp rests a number of players ahead of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday. Overall there are five changes from the 1-1 draw with Spurs at the weekend. Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota come in for the heavyweight quintet of Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson (who isn’t among the subs), Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Mo Salah.
Aston Villa (4-D-2) Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Nakamba; McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Coutinho; Watkins, Ings.
Substitutes: Olsen, Chambers, Chrisene, A Young, Iroegbunam, Sanson, Carney Chukwuemeka, Buendia, Traore.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Keita, Fabinho, Jones; Jota, Mane, Diaz.
Substitutes: Kelleher, Konate, Thiago, Milner, Firmino, Salah, Henderson, Gomez, Origi.
Referee Jon Moss.
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Preamble
Of all the gin joints. It’s the year 2022, Liverpool are involved in a title race - and Steven Gerrard is a central figure. By a quirk of the fixture computer and the managerial merry-go-round, Gerrard’s Aston Villa side play Liverpool tonight and Manchester City at the Etihad on the final day of the season. He could help Liverpool win the title, or he could finish them off in the next few hours.
If Liverpool drop points tonight, it’ll be all over bar the tweeting. As they’ve taken 41 points from their last 15 league games, even the dumb money is on them winning at Villa Park. But there’s no rest for the well wicked: the more successful you are, the greater the fixture pile-up, and this is Liverpool’s 12th game in 39 days since the last international break.
One interpretation of their draw with Spurs on Saturday is that they showed signs of fatigue, mentally rather than physically, though in truth it’s far too early to jump to that conclusion. It should surprise nobody if they chase Villa off the park tonight.
Villa have won their last two games though, ending a poor run of form, and have players who can hurt Liverpool: Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings and the artist formerly known as the Little Magician.
Like Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho will experience some mixed emotions tonight.
Kick off 8pm.
Villa Park is all set. 👌 #AVLLIV pic.twitter.com/UTeBGOw8CA
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 10, 2022
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