Unai Emery delivers Liverpool Premier League title verdict as Arne Slot change noted

Unai Emery believes Liverpool are favourites to win the Premier League ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal this season - as he admitted it will be a huge challenge for Aston Villa to leave Anfield with a share of the points this weekend.

The West Midlands outfit travel to Merseyside on Saturday night off the back of three straight defeats in all competitions, with the most recent coming in the Champions League at the hands of Club Brugge on Wednesday night as defender Tyrone Mings was penalised for handling Emi Martinez's goal-kick at the start of the second half.

Prior to that, Villa had endured a nightmare couple of days as they were comprehensively beaten 4-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League just days after being eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace.

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On the other hand, Liverpool are currently top of both the Premier League and the Champions League after winning 14 of their 16 games across all competitions this season, with the only blemish on such an impressive record coming against Nottingham Forest in September.

And Emery is aware of Arne Slot's side's quality and believes it could be enough to end Manchester City's four-year monopoly on the Premier League trophy.

"Tomorrow, Liverpool will be very difficult," said the Spaniard in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "They are completely favourites to beat us and to win the league this season in front of Arsenal and City. We are going to play 38 matches, we are in day 11 tomorrow and we are motivated and excited as well.

"We are keeping balance and tomorrow is an amazing match we will play in Liverpool, the team who is doing the best this season in the Premier League and Champions League."

Asked about the differences he expects from Liverpool this season compared to last, Emery replied: "They are playing very, very well. There are some tactical changes, but they are playing with the same players playing very well.

"The style and idea is clear and we can watch it. More or less they have the same power as before with their structure tactically. They are a strong team and individually as well.

"Tomorrow is a really huge challenge to stop them and play with our personality. We are analysing and building a team. We have to compete if we want to get to the level we had last year. We are more or less keeping it, but we have to be stronger in some circumstances, tactically, emotionally and mentally.

"We are building a team with different players and with some players who are coming back from injury. We are again building a team and a structure. We are in this process."