Aston Villa and Liverpool face off tonight knowing the winner will guarantee themselves a place in next season’s Champions League.
The two clubs start the penultimate weekend tied on 59 points, four ahead of sixth-placed Bournemouth. A win from their final two games would be enough but even if Villa draw a blank and are caught by the Cherries, they can still qualify by winning the Europa League final against Freiburg.
It has been a disappointing season for Liverpool in particular with Arne Slot’s men failing to back up their title success of last season.
The Reds have lost eight times on the road, though they may take heart from Villa’s recent home defeat to Tottenham, albeit in a game in which Unai Emery shuffled his pack significantly.
“[Away form is] one of the reasons we are here, [we’ve] dropped too many points,” Slot told his pre-match press conference.
“Dropping points in away games happens mainly after Europe in games where Liverpool are usually able to win. Villa away is always difficult but we’ve dropped points in away games where we usually don’t. That is one of the reasons we have not qualified yet for the Champions League.”
Where to watch Aston Villa v Liverpool: TV and online streams
Aston Villa v Liverpool kicks off at 8:00pm. It will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It will be available to stream via Sky Go.
Stats for Aston Villa v Liverpool
- Villa have won just one of their last 16 Premier League games against Liverpool, a 7-2 home victory in October 2020.
- Liverpool have scored at least twice in 10 of their last 11 Premier League away games against Villa – including the last eight in a row. Only City (11 at Fulham) and Manchester United (nine at West Bromwich Albion) have had longer runs of scoring at least two goals away at an opponent in the competition.
- The Reds, who won the reverse fixture at Anfield 2-0 in November, last did the league double over Villa in 2021-22, while they last did so without conceding in 1995-96.
- Liverpool have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League games on a Friday since a 4-2 defeat at Arsenal in April 2004.
- But Liverpool have not won their final away league match in any of the last three seasons (drawn two, lost one), with these games seeing 19 goals scored in total (4-4 v Southampton, 3-3 v Villa, 2-3 v Brighton & Hove Albion).
- Each of the last two Premier League meetings between the clubs at Villa Park have ended level (3-3 in 2023-24 and 2-2 in 2024-25).
- Salah has had a hand in 14 goals across his last 12 Premier League games against Villa (nine goals, five assists), scoring and assisting in this fixture at Villa Park last season.
- Salah could make his final away appearance in the Premier League. With 83 goals and 47 assists (130 combined), just three players have been involved in more goals on the road in the league’s history: Wayne Rooney (139), Ryan Giggs (137) and Harry Kane (135).
- Villa have lost four of their last eight home Premier League matches (won three, drawn one), having won eight on the bounce beforehand.
- Ollie Watkins has been involved in 12 goals in his last 13 appearances in all competitions (nine goals, three assists).
- Watkins only has more Premier League goal involvements against Brighton (11) and Newcastle United (nine) than he does against Liverpool (eight – six goals, two assists).
