The pressure is on for Liverpool as they host Aston Villa and attempt to end their four-match losing run in the Premier League.
Liverpool vs. Aston Villa
Premier League (10) | Anfield
November 1, 2025 | 8pm (GMT)
Arne Slot‘s decision to field a squad of youngsters in the Carabao Cup, which unsurprisingly led to defeat, has ramped up the necessity to beat Aston Villa at Anfield.
Before the weekend’s fixtures, Liverpool are seven points behind Arsenal and need to arrest their run of six losses in seven if they are to keep any faint hopes of a title challenge alive.
1. Ryan Gravenberch should be fit
There was positive and negative injury news to emerge from Slot’s press conference, with updates forthcoming on Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Alexander Isak.
Unfortunately, Slot said he was “99.9 percent sure” that the latter two won’t be involved.
However, Gravenberch could be involved after returning to team training on Thursday following two games out with an ankle issue.
Alisson, Jeremie Frimpong, Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic are all still absent due to hamstring injuries, while Giovanni Leoni remains out after ACL surgery.
2. Team selection
• READ: Liverpool FC lineup options vs. Aston Villa – 10 changes with Andy Robertson change
Slot’s team selection in the Carabao Cup can be used to predict most of Liverpool’s starting XI against Aston Villa.
Ten changes are likely, with only Andy Robertson or Milos Kerkez expected to keep their place from Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat.
Giorgi Mamardashvili will return to play in goal, while a left-back should be joined by Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley in defence.
Dominik Szoboszlai will hopefully partner Gravenberch in midfield, with Florian Wirtz, Mo Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo making up the rest of the side.
Predicted XI: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike
3. Aston Villa have shown how to turn things around
Aston Villa started the season in very poor form, failing to win any of their opening six matches in all competitions.
They have since turned things around, though, and last week’s 1-0 win over Man City saw them catch up to Liverpool with whom they are now level on 15 points.
Manager Unai Emery said: “It means the players and our performance tactically is becoming better. The results are better than the first month we played in the Premier League.
“Something we have to avoid now is relaxing because we’re in a position where we are feeling good, but it’s not enough.”
4. Emiliano Buendia ruled out for Aston Villa
Aston Villa are without their left-winger, Emiliano Buendia, for this one. Emery ruled him out due to the Argentine’s injury picked up last weekend.
The visitors will also be without Andres Garcia and Youri Tielemans, the latter of whom Emery said will “start training hopefully next week with the group.”
Harvey Elliott is also unable to play because Liverpool are his parent club.
5. Predicted Aston Villa XI
Without joint-top scorer Buendia, Jadon Sancho could start his first Premier League game of the season on the left.
He will likely be joined in attack by Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, while John McGinn could start as the right-winger but play more of a midfield role in reality.
The back five should stay the same, with a defence of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Luca Digne starting in front of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Kamara, McGinn; Rogers, Sancho, Watkins
6. Arne Slot’s thoughts on Liverpool’s weaknesses
Liverpool haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 matches. Despite this, Slot doesn’t think Liverpool have been too open in most games recently.
“I don’t think the story is, at least in my opinion, that we concede chance after chance after chance and that we are too open – it’s absolutely not like this,’ said the Dutchman.
“Every single game maybe apart from Palace, because in the first half we could have been two or 3-0 down, and maybe the Brentford game, I think all the other games we deserved much more than we got and we hardly conceded a chance.
“Even this week with the team that I put out which played for the first time together, I think they only conceded three big chances.”
7. Avoid an unwanted record, Liverpool!
Liverpool were last defeated in successive league games at Anfield with fans in attendance in September 2012, with both Arsenal and Man United taking maximum points.
The Reds haven’t lost five league matches in a row since 1953 – that’s over 71 years!
A draw or win would see Arne Slot reach 100 points in the Premier League as head coach of Liverpool. He would tie Kenny Dalglish’s record of 100 points in fewer games than any other Reds boss (48).
8. Who is the referee?
The referee for Liverpool vs. Aston Villa will be Stuart Attwell, taking charge of the Reds for a 28th time.
Attwell will be assisted at Anfield by Nick Hopton and Craig Taylor, while fourth official duties have been handed to Tom Bramall.
Meanwhile in Stockley Park, Simon Hooper, who went off injured at half time against Brentford last weekend, is to take on the role of video assistant referee. He will be assisted by Matthew Wilkes.
9. A tough start for Harvey Elliott
• READ: Harvey Elliott left out of Aston Villa squad after Unai Emery’s blunt assessment
As mentioned, Elliott won’t be able to play against the Reds as he is still contracted to Liverpool while on loan.
The 22-year-old left Anfield to play more regular football, but that hasn’t so far materialised at Villa. Elliott has started just once in the league since moving to the Midlands and is out of favour with the manager.
He must play 10 times for his loan to become an obligation to buy at the end of the season, but at the moment it seems Emery isn’t a fan, giving the youngster just 167 minutes across six appearances so far.
10. Follow the match with TIA
Liverpool vs. Aston Villa is live on TNT Sports 1 with kickoff at 8pm (GMT).
TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 7.15pm, with Harry McMullen tasked with keeping you entertained and up-to-date.
Come on you Reds!
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