6.
16:06
Robertson takes a free-kick from the left into the penalty area and of course looks for van Dijk in the six-yard box. The Dutchman bumps his head against Watkins and both players need treatment.
4.
16:05
There was an immediate fire between the two teams. From the start, John Brooks has to interact and admonish a lot. Both teams want the three points and you can feel that.
2.
16:02
For Aston Villa there should have been another incentive just before the start. The Spurs lost their early game against Brentford and therefore missed important points. Should Aston Villa score today, they would move ahead of Tottenham in the table.
1.
16:01
The ball rolls and the Villans toast. The Reds immediately go for it and start with strong pressing.
15:59
The players take to the pitch and one important person is missing from the Reds. Jürgen Klopp has to serve a suspension because of his statements after the game against Tottenham against the referee team. That means the head coach will only be able to watch from the stands.
15:43
The match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa is refereed by John Brooks. He will be assisted by Matthew Wilkes and James Mainwaring. The fourth official is Michael Oliver.
15:42
Unai Emery, on the other hand, made three changes: Lucas Digne, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara move into the front row, while Álex Moreno, Ashley Young and Emiliano Buendia have to make do with a place on the tough bench for the time being.
15:39
Jurgen Klopp makes no changes to his starting XI compared to those against Leicester. So he trusts the winning team from last Monday. He will also be without Darwin Núñez, who has an ankle injury, as well as Calvin Ramsay, Thiago, Naby Keïta and Stefan Bajčetić.
15:34
The first leg was a clear number. On Boxing Day, both teams met on matchday 17 in Birmingham. Liverpool initially used their standard strength and were able to achieve a comfortable 2-0 lead through Salah and van Dijk. Things got more hectic after the break, however, and Aston Villa caught up. But then the Reds took over again and the young star Bicakcic made the 1:3 away win for Liverpool FC clear. Today both teams need three points to fulfill their European ambitions.
15:34
But the guests from Birmingham still have ambitions for the European places. With 57 points, Aston Villa are eighth and level on points with Tottenham Hotspurs in seventh place, who qualify a team for the Conference League. The Europa League would still be doable for the Villans, who are a point behind Brighton but also have a game more to their credit. Today’s guests took an important step in this direction on the last match day, because Aston Villa won 2-1 in a direct duel with Spurs at their own stadium. Even the late goal by Harry Kane did not shake the Villans and the important three points could be bagged.
15:13
The Reds put on a fantastic run at the end of the season and are still hoping for a place in the Champions League. The team, led by Jürgen Klopp, has been unbeaten in nine games and celebrated their seventh win in a row against Leicester last matchday. The Reds are now just a point away from Manchester United, who are fourth but still have a game to play. It will therefore be tight with the places for the premier class, but with a win today Liverpool could put a lot of pressure on the competition.
15:02
Hello and welcome to Matchday 37 of the Premier League. Liverpool FC host Aston Villa this afternoon in a battle for European places. From 4:00 p.m. the ball will be rolling on Anfield Road. The live ticker for this game starts right before the kick-off.