The time for Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah at Anfield is coming to an end without it being clear what will be the next stop. – A good news for Liverpool now at the end of the season is that Salah is back from injury.
Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to the Midlands in their penultimate Premier League game of the season, knowing that the evening could secure them a place in the Champions League next season.
Read: Unai Emery has turned around and is causing trouble for talks between Manchester United and Barcelona
The Reds are preparing to say goodbye to Mohamed Salah, who is set to leave the club as a free agent alongside Andy Robertson in the summer.
Nevertheless, this match is business as usual for both teams, despite the hosts having a Europa League final to look forward to later this month.
Aston Villa’s team
Starting XI: Martinez, Cash, Lindelöf, Konsa, McGinn, Tielemans, Buendía, Watkins, Digne, Pau, Rogers
Substitutes: Bizot, Barkley, Garcia, Abraham, Sancho, Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey
Liverpool Team
Starting XI: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konaté, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Gakpo, Gravenberch, Ngumoha
Substitutes: Woodman, Wirtz, Salah, Chiesa, Robertson, Nyoni, McConnell, Ndiaye, Wright
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool stats
- Villa have won just one of their last 16 Premier League games against Liverpool – a 7-2 win at home in October 2020.
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in 10 of their last 11 Premier League away games against Villa, including the last eight in a row. Only Manchester City (11 against Fulham) and Manchester United (9 against West Bromwich) have had longer streaks with at least two away goals against one opponent in the league.
- Liverpool won the second leg at Anfield 2-0 in November. They last won the league double over Villa in 2021/22, and the last time they did so without conceding a goal was in 1995/96.
- Liverpool have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League games on Fridays – since a 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in April 2004.
- However, Liverpool have not won their last away game in the league in any of the last three seasons (two draws, one loss). These games have a total of 19 goals: 4-4 against Southampton, 3-3 against Aston Villa and 2-3 against Brighton.
- Each of the last two Premier League games between the clubs at Villa Park has ended in a draw: 3-3 in 2023/24 and 2-2 in 2024/25.
- Mohamed Salah has been involved in 14 goals in his last 12 Premier League games against Villa (nine goals, five assists). He scored and assisted in this game at Villa Park last season.
- Salah may be playing his last away game in the Premier League. With 83 goals and 47 assists (130 in total), only three players have been involved in more away goals in league history: Wayne Rooney (139), Ryan Giggs (137) and Harry Kane (135).
- Villa have lost four of their last eight home games in the Premier League (winning three, one draw), having won eight in a row previously.
- Ollie Watkins has been involved in 12 goals in his last 13 appearances in all competitions (nine goals, three assists).
- Watkins has only more Premier League goals against Brighton (11) and Newcastle (9) than against Liverpool (8 – six goals, two assists).
