Liverpool V Aston Villa - The Build Up Thread

[Eth]

Anfield
Saturday, 28 October
Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD


BIG-MATCH FACTS


LIVERPOOL set about the job of bringing an end to the only remaining unbeaten record in the Premiership, having seen their title dreams take a huge dent with defeat at Manchester United last Sunday - a result that left them in 11th place with 11 points, and 11 points off the pace.

"Rafa the Rotator", as the Liverpool manager has become known, has not named an unchanged line-up for 98 matches, since a 3-1 home win over Fulham on 5 February 2005. That may be a contributory factor to the Merseysiders current placing in the lower half of the Premiership table.

The Reds 'doubled' Villa last season. They're unbeaten in nine against the Midlanders (six wins, three draws).

ASTON VILLA only narrowly maintained their unbeaten record under Martin O'Neil with Tuesday's Carling Cup victory in extra time over his old club Leicester. They travel intent on becoming the first club this season to leave Anfield with all three points. But the Villans have not lost in 12 League and Cup outings this season and last, since being eclipsed by Liverpool on their most recent visit on 29 April.

The Midlanders are the draw specialists in the top League with six of their nine outings finishing level - that includes all four fixtures on the road.

Villa head for Anfield in search of a first point in four visits, and a first victory over the Reds in 10 engagements home and away, since the 1-3 triumph on Merseyside on 8 September 2001 when Dion Dublin, Lee Hendrie and Darius Vassell were all on the scoresheet.


REFEREE


Steve Bennett (Orpington, Kent)

Premiership referees' table
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/foo...em/4145246.stm

Steve Bennett's 2006-07 Premiership card count
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/foo...em/4145288.stm


SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM


LIVERPOOL
11th 11 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 8th
Lowest could fall: 13th

1. Lost four times in the Premiership this season, but only trail unbeaten Aston Villa by four points in the table.

2. Made their worst start since the opening season of Premier League football. After nine games of the 1992-93 campaign, Liverpool had two fewer points than they have now. In that year, the Reds also bagged nine points after the first 10 fixtures, but went on to finish in the top six.

3. Opponents have scored the opening goal in seven of their nine League games this term.

4. Home games against Newcastle and Tottenham are the only matches in which Liverpool netted the opener. Both games were won with clean sheets.

5. Chalked up nine more points at home than away - the widest such dicotamy in the highest League.

6. Avoided defeat in 26 of 27 matches at Anfield in all competitions - the only defeat being 0-2 to Benfica in the Champions League on 8 March.

7. Dropped six points from the last 60 available on home turf.

8. Won 17 and drawn three Premiership games in front of the home faithful, since losing 1-4 to Chelsea on 2 October 2005.

9. Needing a morale boosting victory here, ahead of the home game against Bordeaux in Group C of the Champions League on Tuesday, before entertaining Reading and visiting Arsenal.

ASTON VILLA
7th 15 points
Highest realistically achievable after Saturday's matches: 5th
Lowest could fall: 9th

1. Won three and drawn six of their eight Premier League matches this season, leaving Villa three games short of equallying their previous longest unbeaten start of eight wins and four draws under John Gregory in 1998.

2. Unbeaten in 10 Premiership matches.

3. Drawn the last three League engagements - all 1-1.

4. Yet to trail at half time in a Premiership game this season - winning in three and level in six.

5. Completed 10 matches since conceding more than a single goal in a Premiership encounter (3-1 loss at Liverpool on 29 April).

6. Without an away League win in 10.

7. Drawn five and lost five League games on the road since winning 0-4 at Middlesbrough on 4 February.

8. A home fixture with Blackburn follows this, before a return trip to Merseyside to face Everton on Saturday, 11 November.


KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES


LIVERPOOL


Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with seven goals.

If he participates, CROUCH will be facing a former club.

Steven GERRARD is still seeking a first goal for Liverpool this season.

Craig BELLAMY is a hat trick shy of 50 Premier League goals (Coventry, Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool).

Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have figured in every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches.

If he plays, Xabi ALONSO will be making his 100th appearance in a Liverpool shirt.

If he gets a run out, Steve FINNAN will be making his 150th appearance for the Reds.

Suspended: Jerzy DUDEK

ASTON VILLA


If he participates, Milan BAROS will be playing on his 25th birthday.

Should they get a run out, both BAROS and Patrik BERGER will be playing against a former club.

BAROS could also make his 100th career Premiership appearance (Villa and Liverpool).

Juan Pablo ANGEL is Villa's top scorer, with five goals.

Gabriel AGBONLAHOR, Gareth BARRY, Olof MELLBERG and Liam RIDGEDWELL have been on the field for every minute of every one of Villa's Premiership fixtures.

If on the field from the outset, Gavin McCANN will be making his 200th career League start (Everton, Sunderland and Aston Villa).


LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME


Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
29 April 2006 - Ref: Mark Halsey
Liverpool scorers: Morientes 4, Gerrard 61, 66
Villa scorer: Barry 58


HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS


Home and away
League: Liverpool 76 wins, Villa 51, Draws 35
Prem: Liverpool 15 wins, Villa 8, Draws 5

at Liverpool only
League: Liverpool 51 wins, Villa 14, Draws 16
Prem: Liverpool 9 wins, Villa 3, Draws 2

[WILF]

Villa will be difficult to break down, a typical O'Neill team, well organised.
I think this has draw written all over it
Somebody,but god knows who, has to spark our league season into life, we desperately need some inspiration from somewhere.

I feel a bit lost before 'pool games now, no idea who will play, formation, tactics.It is hard to daydream/fantasize about the game in advance when the team changes so much

Can't say I feel too optimistic or upbeat about this one

[Eth]

O'Neill will really put pressure on our back four with his direct style - I expect Reina to have a nightmare again - Fowler has a good record against the villa so he'll be confident of scoring - I'd go with him an Kuyt up top.

this one is going to be messy.

[Morph]

Bennett's not the worst ref in the world, so not bad on that acount.

[Taffy]

The more I think about it the more sense it makes to start with Crouch up front tomorrow.

He's up against an old club and will probably score , and is the one player who has regularly scored for us when played. Don't know the injury situation with Bellamy but I'd start with Crouch and Kuyt up front tomorrow - changed my mind after thinking more about it during my tea break (had a chat with some Manc colleagues who couldn't understand what LFC were going through with such a 'good squad' - their words not mine! They did say that they don't understand why Rafa keeps playing Gerrard away from his favoured central midfield role, and can't be getting the best out of 'the best midfielder in Europe' [again their words] playing out of his best position! The Mancs must be getting soft after beating us at the weekend!?!)