3 Aston Villa players to look out for in Liverpool's next game including Fernando Torres comparison

Saturday's matchup between Liverpool and Aston Villa is a tale of two teams trending dramatically in opposite directions.

Liverpool is fresh off a signature 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton last Saturday and a 4-0 thumping of Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen midweek in the Champions League. Unai Emery's Villa side has lost three games in a row after going 11 matches unbeaten, punctuated by a 1-0 loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League after a ridiculous Tyrone Mings handball.

Villa will be looking to get on track Saturday ahead of the international break. The Birmingham-based team still boasts plenty of quality and can give Liverpool a trick match, even at Anfield. Here are three players who will make or break Saturday's matchup:

• 4 things spotted in Liverpool training as new face arrives and Arne Slot drops Aston Villa hint

• Liverpool has 4 key players missing for Aston Villa game in Premier League clash

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has five goals and two assists in 10 Premier League starts this season. In his 10 career Premier League starts against Liverpool, Watkins has... five goals and two assists.

The Villa frontman is fresh off a dynamic season where he trailed only Cole Palmer for the most combined goals and assists in the league with 32.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard once made an apt comparison for the striker: "I picture Ollie Watkins at his best when he's really front-footed, aggressive with that bit between his teeth," he said. "He reminds me in a lot of ways, in terms of his profile and how he goes about it, of a player I played with – Fernando Torres."

Jacob Ramsey

Despite the strong play of deputy Kostas Tsimikas, left-back is still a point of weakness in the Liverpool back line: both Brighton and Arsenal scored in recent weeks down the Reds' left flank.

Aston Villa winger Jacob Ramsey could be poised to profit on Saturday. He's off to a slow start in 2024 and missed most of last year with injury, but the young Englishman flashed his talent with a strong 2022/23 breakout season.

His underlying numbers are fantastic. He ranks in the 99th percentile amongst midfielders in Europe's top five leagues in touches in the attacking penalty area (4.56 per 90) and progressive passes receiver (7.68 per 90). Ramsey slots in the 98th percentile in progressive carries (3.58 per 90).

Lucas Digne

The 31-year-old veteran French left-back Lucas Digne is likely to start for Aston Villa after being given midweek often while (expensive) deputy Ian Maatsen filled in.

The attacking fullback will fight against Mo Salah for a 10th time in the Premier League across his appearances with both Everton and Villa.

The dynamic Egyptian forward has scored five goals and assisted twice in those contests. Digne has ended up on the winning side just once: Everton's surprise 2-0 victory at Anfield in 2021 during the Carlo Ancelotti era.