If we are going to stay up this season, we're going to need to be able to look back on this run in and say we deserve to stay up, it isn't going to happen picking up the odd point and hoping teams around us keep losing. That starts tomorrow when we play Liverpool and we need to know that on Sunday evening, we've got a chance.
And that is only really likely tomorrow if other teams lose today because the chances of us winning are slim. But nothing is impossible.
Liverpool have won the League, they have nothing to play for. But after the spanking they got against Manchester City, they probably want to go out and prove a point. That they are playing us gives them an opportunity to spank someone. And despite us needing points, you sort of know how we are going to go out and play.
And knowing that doesn't give me much confidence. We'll hit those hopeful balls, not real passes. We'll sit back and hope to counter. We'll look like a Championship side lost and not knowing. Sure, there will be desire and passion and running, but that isn't good enough in this League, you need a game plan and we don't really have a proper one.
But we could get lucky.
The manager
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Liverpool have earned four successive Premier League wins against Aston Villa, by an aggregate score of 13-3.
- However, the Reds have won only three of the past nine league meetings at Anfield (D3, L3).
- This fixture has produced 20 away wins, the most in Premier League history (14 for Liverpool, six for Aston Villa).
Liverpool
- The new league champions are unbeaten in 56 home league games, winning the last 23 in a row.
- The Reds need five wins from their final six league matches to break the English top-flight points record of 100, set by Manchester City in 2017-18.
- Another five league victories would give Liverpool 33 for the season, eclipsing City's record of 32.
- Liverpool's only defeat against a side in the relegation zone in their past 24 league matches at Anfield came against Swansea City in January 2017 (W17, D6).
- It's five losses in nine league and cup games for Jurgen Klopp's side. They had only lost five of their previous 76 fixtures.
- Liverpool could lose consecutive league matches for the first time since August to September 2015.
- Mo Salah has scored 49 Premier League home goals in 59 appearances for Liverpool and Chelsea combined. Only Alan Shearer (47 games) has taken fewer than 60 appearances to reach 50 home goals in the division.
- Roberto Firmino has failed to score in any of his last 17 league games at Anfield since a 2-1 win versus Tottenham in March 2019.
Aston Villa
- Dean Smith's side are enduring the longest current winless run in the division, with two draws and six defeats in eight games.
- Villa's only two victories in their past 34 top-flight away fixtures came against Norwich in October and Burnley in January (D6, L26).
- They have only managed two points from 15 Premier League away fixtures against the side starting the day top of the table since beating Leeds 2-1 in January 2000.
- The Villans are on a club Premier League record run of 23 consecutive away fixtures without a clean sheet.
- They are winless in all 15 league fixtures this season against the teams who begin this matchround in the top nine of the table (D2, L13).
- Jack Grealish has gone nine league appearances without a goal and only contributed one assist in those matches.