Aston Villa are set to play host to Liverpool in their attempt to seal the Champions League spot this Friday.

 Aston Villa are heading to two vital games in the season. At the weekend, they will be welcoming their contender for a Champions League berth at the moment, Liverpool, at their home turf before flying to Istanbul for their first continental final in 44 years. Their Europa League final against Freiburg marks another crucial match to end their 30-year title drought.

 With these games only separated by four days, Unai Emery has to decide whether he would rotate the squad, focus on both or sacrifice one match for another. Considering the fact that he does not have the luxury of a balanced, deep squad to always pick up a win in all competitions, any options available would be hard to choose.

 Should Emery choose to rotate the squad, it will be an advantage for the Reds to pick up three points, as they have nothing else to fight for this season than a UCL spot as their target. Therefore, it would also be a risky one as it could impact the team’s winning mentality.

Meanwhile, if they choose to play the whole winning team, fatigue could be a real threat for the squad when they play the game of their lives for one chance to win the title.

 Another worrying issue for The Lions is Unai Emery’s negative record against Liverpool. The Spaniard has been unable to beat The Reds for 10 years since thumping them in the Europa League final in 2016. According to the report in Birmingham World, his record is rather concerning.

 “Since beating the Reds on his first-ever meeting 10 years ago this month, a 3-1 win in the Europa League final with Sevilla, they have become the epitome of a bogey team for the Spaniard.” In 13 matches against them since with Arsenal, Villarreal and Villa, he has experienced four draws, nine defeats and no victories.”

With everything at stake plus Liverpool’s not-ideal squad update, as a number of their players are likely sidelined due to injury, including Ibrahim Konaté, Hugo Eketike, goalkeeper Alisson and Mo Salah, Villa are expected to secure three points here. Otherwise, the pressure would be mounting, especially if they lose in the Europa League final. Their last game is on the road against Manchester City, which aims for maximum points to win the title race.

When does Aston Villa v Liverpool kick off?

The clash between Aston Villa and Liverpool will be held at 8 pm on Friday. It becomes the only match staged on that day and in that time slot. 

Where to watch Aston Villa v Liverpool in the UK   

The Aston Villa v Liverpool encounter will be available on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go Extra, and Sky Go UK on TV as well as live streaming. The fans can also enjoy this game on NOW TV.

Watch and Stream Aston Villa v Liverpool anywhere 

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