Augustine MuthuriAston Villa hosts league leaders Liverpool in a midweek Premier League clash. A win for Liverpool would extend their lead at the top of the table to ten points. Villa, however, are dealing with a growing injury list.
Liverpool are back in midweek Premier League action, traveling to Aston Villa on Wednesday night. The Reds endured a physically and emotionally taxing Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park last week, which seemed to impact their performance against Wolves. Despite taking a 2-0 lead into halftime at Anfield, Liverpool failed to register a single shot in the second half, and Matheus Cunha’s goal made for a tense finish. Arne Slot’s team held on, however, and a win at Villa Park would give them a commanding ten-point lead at the top.
Aston Villa’s domestic form has been inconsistent this season, though they remain unbeaten at home since August. A draw against Ipswich at the weekend leaves Unai Emery’s side currently ninth in the league. The Villans need to improve if they hope to secure a European spot for next season.
Here’s a comprehensive preview of Wednesday’s Premier League encounter.
Match Details
Location: Birmingham, England
Stadium: Villa Park
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Kick-off Time: 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET / 11:30 PT
Referee: Craig Pawson
VAR: Alex Chilowicz
Head-to-Head (Last Five Games)
Aston Villa: 0 wins
Liverpool: 3 wins
Draws: 2
Last Meeting: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa (November 9, 2024) – Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
Aston Villa:
Aston Villa 1-1 Ipswich (15/02/25)
Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham (09/02/25)
Wolves 2-0 Aston Villa (01/02/25)
Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic (29/01/25)
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham (26/01/25)
Liverpool:
Liverpool 2-1 Wolves (16/02/25)
Everton 2-2 Liverpool (12/02/25)
Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool (09/02/25)
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham (06/02/25)
Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool (01/02/25)
How to Watch
Country TV Channel/Live Stream
United Kingdom: discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 2
United States: fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, USA Network, UNIVERSO
Canada fuboTV Canada
Team News
Aston Villa:
Aston Villa has suffered another injury setback, with Boubacar Kamara set to miss several weeks due to a muscle injury sustained against Ipswich. With Pau Torres already out, and Ezri Konsa potentially unavailable, Emery faces defensive challenges. Matty Cash and Leon Bailey are doubtful, while Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana remain sidelined.
Tyrone Mings is fit and available and should start in defense alongside new signing Axel Disasi. Marcus Rashford could also make his first start for the club.
Predicted Aston Villa Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Garcia, Disasi, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Asensio, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins.
Liverpool:
Liverpool’s manager has confirmed that Cody Gakpo will miss out again after picking up a knock in the derby. His goal-scoring form will be a significant loss for the visitors. Joe Gomez is also set for another spell on the sidelines, and Tyler Morton is nursing a shoulder injury.
Curtis Jones is available after suspension and could feature in the starting lineup if the manager opts for rotation ahead of Sunday’s game at the Etihad.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.
Score Prediction
Liverpool possesses an impressive recent record against Aston Villa. Despite being without Gakpo, their second-highest scorer, the visitors should be able to exploit a weakened Villa defense. Kamara’s absence in midfield is a significant blow for Villa, as he played a crucial anchoring role. Liverpool should enjoy periods of control, increasing their chances of a big win.
After a difficult game against Wolves following the derby, expect a more composed performance from Liverpool. They’ve already demonstrated their ability to grind out wins on the road this year.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
