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Liverpool vs Aston Villa score predicted as Premier League charge continues
Liverpool's season seems to be getting better each week, and the Reds will have the chance to stay top of the Premier League heading into the international break with three points against Aston Villa later tonight.
A tough test on paper proved to be much simpler than expected earlier this week, with Luis Diaz scoring his first Liverpool hat-trick as the Reds dismantled Bayer Leverkusen in a 4-0 win in the Champions League. The victory left Arne Slot's side as the only team in the competition to win all four of their opening games, with Liverpool currently sitting top of both the Champions League and Premier League tables.
Next up for the Reds is another tough test, with Slot's side welcoming Aston Villa to Anfield in the Premier League. The last time the two sides met saw Villa score two late goals to draw 3-3 at Villa Park, though it's been over a decade since Villa last won at Anfield.
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Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa will both miss out once again, joining Alisson and Harvey Elliott on the sidelines. So, can the Reds pick up another three points later today? Let's take a look...
Liverpool vs Aston Villa Premier League score predicted
To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Liverpool could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboazlai, Diaz; Nunez.
We predict that Villa could set up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey; Rogers; Watkins.
Liverpool rushed out the gates at Anfield with an aggressive approach to the game, and 11 minutes in, they took the lead when Mohamed Salah cut onto his left in trademark style before his reverse shot found the bottom corner, leaving Emiliano Martinez rooted to the spot. Salah was causing all sorts of problems for Lucas Digne down the right, and just before the break, the Egyptian was involved again as Liverpool grabbed a second.
Salah drifted centrally before being picked out by Ryan Gravenberch, with the winger turning away from Amadou Onana before surging towards goal. He slipped a pass in behind the Villa defence for Diaz to latch on to, and the Colombian blasted home at the near post to make it 2-0.
Slot's side continued to dominate in the second half as they kept creating chances, but Darwin Nunez, Virgil van Dijk, and Cody Gakpo were all guilty of missing big opportunities. The Liverpool defence kept Villa quiet all game however, so the Reds weren't made to pay for their misses as they entered the international break with another three points under their belt.
