Liverpool have a chance to go 10 points clear at the top of the table with a win at Aston Villa on Wednesday, February 19th. Liverpool are in good form away from Anfield as they have yet to lose a game on an away pitch in Premier League play this season. They are the only team in the top flight with such a mark.
Facts & Figures
If Liverpool were to get a result, they would be just the 5th club in Premier League history to start the season with 14 matches unbeaten on the road. The last team to do it was Manchester United in 2020-21 who had an unbeaten record through 19 matches on the road. If Mohamed Salah scores, he will set the club record for the most away Premier League goals with 15. He is currently tied with Luis Suarez at 14. You can expect a high-scoring affair when these two teams get together as they have scored a combined 4.7 goals per match over the last 7 games.
What Does Slot Say?
Arne Slot knows that this is a match of significance, not only because the Reds can move 10 points ahead in the title race, but because Aston Villa is tough to beat on their home pitch.
“I think Villa away, when you get the fixture list, you all know that Villa away is one of the tougher ones you can face,” he said. “But last season was also a very interesting game with it ending 3-3, if I remember correctly. So, [a] very good manager, always has a very good game plan. They brought in quite a lot of good players in the winter break as well and they already had a very good team. They qualified for [the] top eight in the Champions League, so it tells you that it's a strong team we are going to face. But that's what I started with, Wolves at home was also tough for us, so every game in this period of time for every team in the league is difficult.”
Scouting The Villians
As Slot alluded to, Villa will not be an easy team to beat. They are adept at earning draws, garnering one in 3 of their last 5 matches. They sit in the top half of the table at 9th place and their top man is Premier League stalwart Ollie Watkins. He leads the club in both goals and assists with 11 and 6 respectively.
LFC Globe Verdict
The Reds Have a big opportunity, but a big challenge in this one. A move to 10 points clear over Arsenal would be huge, but Ollie Watkins is always a dangerous customer with which to deal. Liverpool need to get an early goal to take the crowd out of the match, but if history is any indication, Liverpool will need to keep their shooting boots on as I think it will take multiple goals to win this one.
Where To Watch
Kickoff is set for 19:30 GMT from Villa Park and can be seen on TNT Sports. In the United States, fans can watch the game on the USA Network at 2:30 PM EST. In Canada, the action can be streamed on fubo.tv.
