19:19
3 min: Villa keep up the pace, Trezeguet doing well before Cash swings a cross over beyond Watkins and out.
19:18
2 min: Good start from Villa, Barkley just failing to play Watkins through and a little flurry of pressure ensuing.
19:13
The teams are out at Villa Park! This game might have a bit to live up to but I’m ruling out nothing …
19:06
Dean Smith speaks on Barkley: “I had to look at him in training to see where his fitness levels were, but he’s a fit boy. Conor [Hourihane] has played really well but that is a different game, I felt Ross would offer some physicality. We’ve added a lot of quality this season, this has been a great market for us.”
19:03
Manchester United 1-6 (SIX) Spurs – you’ll be wanting Jamie Jackson’s match report:
18:55
Villa look much improved this season and Ezri Konsa has been a big part of it. Read all about their remodelling and Konsa’s excellence with the one and only Paul Doyle:
18:42
I have already been at The Football today. It’s wet out, I can tell you, not that one ought to complain. Because everyone’s a salesman nowadays, here is the on-whistle report from the Emirates:
18:28
Apparently a game just happened in Manchester. You may well want to read about it, especially if you are of a Liverpool persuasion.
18:26
So, a look at those teams. No Sadio Mane for Liverpool, of course, due to his Covid-19 diagnosis – Diogo Jota starts and is not a bad stand-in at all. Adrian has to step in, too, because of Alisson’s shoulder injury.
Can Villa capitalise? I think we all know anything is possible this season, at this point. Barkley starts. It looks a strong team to me.
18:19
Starting lineups
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Barkley, Trezeguet, Watkins, Grealish
Subs: Davis, Nakamba, Traoré, El Ghazi, Steer, Hourihane, Ahmed Elmohamady
Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Jota
Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Henderson, Jones, Minamino, Origi, N. Williams.
18:00
Preamble
Good evening!
This could be a tricky night for Liverpool against an Aston Villa team full of confidence and who can now call on Ross Barkley, a player keen to get a result against the Premier League champions.
Jurgen Klopp is certainly wary of the opposition.