Dean Smith’s Aston Villa face Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at Villa Park in the Premier League this weekend.
Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has given his prediction for the Premier League meeting between Aston Villa and Liverpool, and has made a surprising pick in terms of a claret and blue player who could hurt the Reds (Sky Sports News).
This Saturday, Villa Park will see Dean Smith’s side hope to get back to winning ways in the league following their defeat against Manchester City last time out, the loss to the champions coming after two consecutive victories in the top flight.
It’ll be a tough proposition for the Villans, who will be up against a side flying high in the league with nine wins and a draw from their opening 10 fixtures, but Nicholas outlined how Liverpool’s flanks are where they “can win and lose games”, suggesting that Trezeguet could be deployed to cause damage.
Nicholas’ advice comes with a caveat, however – namely that Villa looking to go down that route could be “damaging” for them and “suit Liverpool”, who could then go on to “pick them off”.
“Villa do not like to be overly cautious or tactical – they want John McGinn and Jack Grealish on the ball, with the energy and drive to find the gaps that Liverpool will leave open,” Nicholas wrote on Sky Sports News.
“It could be Trezeguet who could hurt Liverpool, especially in these wide areas. Everybody has seen with Trent Alexander-Arnold that he is unbelievable going forward but can leave gaps at the back, so how do you expose it? It is the wide areas where Liverpool can win and lose games, and this area could be damaging for Villa, who will try and play. This will suit Liverpool and they will pick them off.”
Both teams are also scheduled to face off in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, Villa having beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool needing penalties to see off Arsenal earlier this week.
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