Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will pit his tactical wits against Unai Emery and Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday in what will be their final Anfield game of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Ahead of the encounter, which has European implications, Jurgen Klopp has lauded the opposition by stating that Aston Villa have had a ‘superb’ second half of the season and Unai Emery is doing a ‘heck’ of a job, as he told Sky Sports.
Other than Manchester City and Arsenal, no one has picked up more points since the Spaniard replaced Steven Gerrard in the Villa Park dugout back in October.
It has been a quite remarkable turnaround for a team that was hovering above the bottom three on goal difference and facing a possible relegation battle.
But fast forward to the present, with two games of the season remaining, and Aston Villa have a chance of securing European football, although, they probably need to take points at a team that have now won six on the bounce.
On Monday night, the Reds eased past Dean Smith’s Leicester City to keep their own Champions League hopes alive, with Klopp turning his attention to the next match.
“Now, we have two more games to come,” said Klopp. “Difficult games. Aston Villa. My God. They play a superb second half of the season and fight for Europe as well, so it will be tricky.”
He later added on BBC Sport: “Unai is doing a heck of a job at Aston Villa. We have to make sure we’re ready.”
CAN UNAI EMERY GUIDE VILLA TO EUROPE?
When the former Arsenal boss arrived at the club, that was the aim, but not for this season because of the mess he found the team in.
Therefore, it’s pretty impressive that he has managed to get Villa fighting in such a way that, if they do win their final two matches – and it’s going to be a tough ask, then European football might be on the cards for next season.
The appointment of Steven Gerrard was a huge mistake by Villa and had they gotten rid of the Anfield legend quicker, then Villa might have been in a far better position than they are in now.
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