Liverpool welcome Aston Villa to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of an intriguing contest, Jurgen Klopp was wary of the “machine” Unai Emery had constructed since taking over Villa. The German coach admitted his side will “need Anfield” but Liverpool’s home crowd almost always delivers.
The Reds have lost just one of their previous 43 Premier League games in front of their fervent support – a 2-1 reverse against Leeds United last October.
Here’s the lineup Klopp may deploy to avoid a rare misstep on home soil.
GK: Alisson – Liverpool’s undisputed number one was notable by his absence during Aston Villa’s most recent victory over the Reds; the infamous 7-2 thrashing in 2020.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – The prolific provider didn’t register his first assist of last season until January. Alexander-Arnold is yet to get off the mark this term.
CB: Joel Matip – Without the suspended Van Dijk, Matip is the senior figure of Liverpool’s rearguard.
CB: Joe Gomez – Alexander-Arnold’s normal backup has not started a Premier League game at Anfield since February.
LB: Andy Robertson – Forced much deeper by Liverpool’s three-box-three system; 8% of Robertson’s touches this season have been in his own penalty area, compared to 3% last term.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister – Van Dijk did not receive the same red-card reprieve Mac Allister was afforded after his soft dismissal against Bournemouth during Liverpool’s last home game.
CM: Wataru Endo – “We really need you,” Klopp told Endo upon his arrival. “We have a really good team. Ready to work, but very offensive.”
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – The obsessive trainer would regularly take 200 free-kicks each day in his youth. Szoboszlai has only been allowed to shoot from set pieces this season and missed the target.
RW: Mohamed Salah – Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad may be intent on prising Salah away from Anfield but Klopp has different ideas.
ST: Darwin Nunez – Klopp admitted Nunez had been hurt by his lack of starts across the opening three weeks of the season but the striker did all he could to change his manager’s mind with two goals off the bench against Newcastle United.
LW: Luis Diaz – When Emery was still in charge of Villarreal, Diaz came off the bench for Liverpool to equalise against the Yellow Submarine in the 2022 Champions League semi-finals.
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