Villa team news confirmed before Liverpool clash

That means Villa are still without Onana, Alysson and long-term absentee Boubacar Kamara, but the final line suggests Emery otherwise expects to have a strong group available.

For Liverpool, that matters because this doesn’t sound like a heavily weakened Villa side, even if the Europa League final against Freiburg is clearly part of the wider picture.

Liverpool need to take advantage

Paul Merson has already backed Villa to beat Liverpool, saying he sees this as “a very winnable game for Aston Villa” because we’ve not been playing well enough.

That is the challenge for Arne Slot, because the Dutchman needs a performance after another flat showing in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Liverpool have at least been handed some positive injury news, with Mo Salah set to return to the squad and Ibou Konate fit again.

Slot has also said Alisson Becker is back in training, although the Brazilian still needs to be assessed before a decision is made.

Villa may have European glory on their mind, but they also need league points and momentum, so Liverpool can’t simply hope their hosts are distracted.

We need to make the most of any uncertainty, play with far more intensity and stop turning winnable games into frustrating missed opportunities.