Adam Brown @AdamMNVi
A disappointing draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday followed by Manchester City’s convincing win over Newcastle United means Liverpool can’t afford to drop any more points if the league title is going to return to Anfield.
Pep Guardiola’s side still have some tricky fixtures ahead of them, which means a Liverpool win on Tuesday night could add much needed pressure as City prepare to take on Wolves at Molineux.
The Reds first must negotiate past Aston Villa, with Steven Gerrard’s side unlikely to be taking it easy for sentiment. While Villa were beaten convincingly by Spurs recently, they showed in the first half that they can cause problems – as they also did at Anfield.
That means it’s a strong line up needed for this one despite the upcoming FA Cup final on Saturday.
Here’s how we should line up:
Rests for Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate sees two changes made with Tsimikas and Joel Matip coming in. Liverpool will have a lot more of the all in this one, which means that Matip is a better option than Konate for his ability to transition the ball into midfield. On the opposite hand, Konate is a better fit for the Chelsea game, with Thomas Tuchel’s side looking to break quickly.
Fabinho starts from the six behind Thiago and Naby Keita. Henderson will be important for the final, and I think it’s key that Keita picks up some vital minutes to put his poor first half display against Villarreal behind him.
Up front sees Luis Diaz maintain his place with a difficult call between Mane and Jota for the central spot. I’ve gone with Jota for this one, with Mane a good fit for the weekend against Chelsea. Salah starts from the right-flank.
While we’d all love for Steven Gerrard to play the reserves in this one, the Reds will still have to fight if catching Manchester City is a possibility. Going level on points with Pep Guardiola’s side would be massive headed into Wednesday, leaving the title in the balance for the final two games should Wolves be able to craft any sort of result against them.
Score prediction: Aston Villa 0 – 3 Liverpool
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