Liverpool Stars Set to Bounce Back Against Aston Villa Following Carabao Cup Heartbreak
Liverpool are desperately seeking to regain their form as they welcome Aston Villa for a Premier League clash on Saturday night.
The Merseyside club has suffered defeats in their previous four league encounters and six of their last seven matches across all competitions, as what began as an early season stumble has evolved into a serious crisis. Their sole bright moment came with a win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while recent losses to Brentford and Crystal Palace have intensified the scrutiny on manager Arne Slot.
With upcoming fixtures against Real Madrid and Manchester City following Villa's visit, securing three points is absolutely critical. However, Slot faces challenges as multiple injuries to essential squad members will restrict his selection options for this pivotal encounter.
Here's how Liverpool might set up at Anfield.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—With Alisson sidelined due to a hamstring problem, Liverpool must continue depending on Mamardashvili between the posts, though the Georgian has been let down by a lackluster defensive unit ahead of him.
RB: Conor Bradley—Jeremie Frimpong's injury guarantees Bradley another opportunity in the back four, with the Northern Ireland defender having faced defensive difficulties this campaign. Nevertheless, he did contribute an assist in the previous weekend's match.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—The French defender showed promise in encounters with Manchester United and Frankfurt, but delivered another questionable performance against Brentford recently. He has struggled to cope with pacey, aggressive strikers this season and may find Ollie Watkins challenging.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—While van Dijk isn't performing at last season's elite level, he's certainly not Liverpool's primary defensive concern. The Reds urgently require his guidance for this crucial match.
LB: Andy Robertson—Milos Kerkez was the sole player retained against Palace in the midweek Carabao Cup tie, completing the full 90 minutes. This indicates he'll likely be substituted by Andy Robertson on Saturday despite finding the net at Brentford.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—Slot has confirmed Gravenberch's availability after missing the previous three fixtures due to injury. The Dutch midfielder's comeback comes at an opportune moment considering Liverpool's defensive struggles.
DM: Dominik Szoboszlai—Szoboszlai has been among the few Liverpool players maintaining standards in recent outings. The tireless Hungarian should get the nod over Alexis Mac Allister, who featured against Palace on Wednesday.
RW: Mohamed Salah—Salah netted an excellent goal at Brentford, yet it marked another subpar display from the previous season's Premier League Player of the Season. Slot requires more from the Egyptian beyond mere consolation efforts.
AM: Florian Wirtz—Liverpool fans continue waiting for Wirtz's peak performance, and the Anfield faithful will hope to witness his Bayer Leverkusen quality on Saturday. The German must elevate his game—and quickly.
LW: Cody Gakpo—Gakpo has provided another positive element in recent weeks, though he disappointed against Brentford. He's found the net six times in his last six appearances for club and country.
ST: Hugo Ekitiké—Slot is "99.9%" confident that Alexander Isak will be unavailable against Villa, leaving Ekitiké to spearhead the attack. The French striker has been another beacon of hope during this difficult spell for the Reds, netting three times in eight Premier League appearances this season.
