Liverpool vs Aston Villa – Preview, Predictions and Live Stats – Round 11 of the Premier League

Can things go better in Liverpool? They are leading both the Premier League and the Champions League table. As they return to Anfield after a triumphant 4-0 win over Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, they aim to continue their extraordinary form. Aston Villa is looking to bounce back. Unai Emery’s team comes after three straight losses in the Premier League, EFL Cup and Champions League. Will they mean trouble for Arne Slot?

Liverpool vs Aston Villa Live Stats

Follow real-time stats for Liverpool vs Aston Villa, including the main events and lineups! The data is updated every minute!

Form, Standings and Head to Head

Liverpool is one of the most in-form teams in the world at the moment. Their only defeat they had since the start of Arne Slot’s reign was against this season’s surprise, Nottingham Forest. Their only draw came against title-race rivals Arsenal, in a 2-2 game at the Emirates. Other than that? It is green across the board for The Reds.

Villa are not bad this season as they currently sit in the 6th spot of the table. Their only defeats came from Arsenal and Tottenham. The Villans are in line with the expectations, as OPTA predicted the 5th spot for them by now, with 16,71 points, just shy of their current 18.

Last time Villa defeated Liverpool, they did it in style. It was a devastating 7-2 win back in 2020 in the Premier League. But lately? Liverpool has not lost in the last 8 encounters. Villa replicated their success only 4 times against Liverpool, albeit not so dramatic. So, in this one, history favours the Reds.

The Aerial Battle and Through Balls

The aerial performance of the two teams could not be any more different. Liverpool dominates the aerial battles in the Premier League, having the biggest success rate, with a whopping 58% win percentage. Aston Villa? Direct opposite, being the team with the worst aerial performance in the league. The Villans win just 44,1% of their duels in the air, placing them dead last in the rankings. This is important, as one of Aston Villa’s strengths is transforming set pieces. Out of their 17 goals, 5 came because of a corner or free kick.

While not performing in the air, one thing The Villans are great at is coming back from losing positions. They did plenty of that this season. The most notable comeback this year was against Everton, where they trailed 2-0 after 30 minutes and then walked away with a 3-2 win. Another area where Unai Emery’s team is great at is the through-ball attack. So far they average 6 through passes per game, being the team with the most of these passes in the Premier League. On par with Manchester United.

But it might not be enough to break through. Liverpool has the best defense in the league, with only 6 goals conceded, and allowed the least amount of xG to be generated against them. Just 8 xG from a total of 98 shots against them. All this while also scoring 19 goals and having the 3rd most shots on target in the league with 58.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa Predictions

Liverpool is the heavy favourite, and with good reason. After they smashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 and came back against Brighton, they were looking unstoppable. They came out on top in 61,8% of OPTA simulations, while Aston Villa won 18,4 of them. So here are a few predictions and betting tips for Liverpool vs Aston Villa to keep in mind:

• Liverpool to win: This one is self explanatory. Liverpool boasts the best defense in the league and they also have plenty of offensive and goal scoring capabilities with Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. Backing up the hosts seems natural. Not to say that they did not lose against Villa in their last 8 games.
• Over 2,5 goals: Liverpool has scored at least 2 goals in 8 Premier League games so far. In the last 5 encounters against Aston Villa, 4 of them ended with over 2,5 goals. Villa has not scored against two teams in the Premier League so far, Arsenal and Manchester United.
• Perilous – Jhon Duran to Score: Duran has scored four goals in the Premier League this season. And in his last appearance against Liverpool, he scored twice in 11 minutes. Will he be able to replicate this performance?