Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Two Champions League participants face off, with Liverpool leading the league. They need to extend their lead while Manchester City stumble, as another opportunity might not arise.
Liverpool
Both clubs played in the Champions League just midweek. Liverpool, unlike Aston Villa, thoroughly enjoyed their game. They dominated Bayer Leverkusen, who broke records last season under their former player. Was 4:0 too much? Not at all; it matched their xG of 3.79 perfectly, while the Germans failed to score (0.80 xGA). Luis Díaz netted a hat-trick and continues to lead the attack alongside Mo Salah, with both having scored nine goals.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa, having managed to defeat Bayern Munich, unexpectedly fell to Club Brugge (0:1), whose squad is valued four times less. The Birmingham side were guilty of conceding a penalty due to a foolish mistake by Tyrone Mings, who handled the ball after a pass from Emiliano Martinez. In their previous 4:1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, there were similar unforced errors in midfield, one of which led to a goal.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa Prediction
With such recent lack of composure, there seems to be no other outcome than a defeat for Aston Villa against Liverpool, especially since they have failed to win eight matches in a row.
