Best of the Rest Battle at Villa Park in Reflective Mood

Aston Villa vs Liverpool

By the time this contest kicks off at Villa Park on Monday night, we’ll be into the final week of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

It seems a natural time then for both clubs to reflect on their campaign.

For Aston Villa and Liverpool, there is no doubt it has been an improvement on their respective campaigns last year.

Another train of thought, however, will suggest that it could have delivered even more.

Talking Points

Of course, Villa will be far the happier of the two clubs.

As it stands, win this encounter and they will be guaranteed Champions League football next season and a return to the top tier of Europe for the first time since 1983.

That is a magnificent achievement by manager Unai Emery who has transformed the club’s fortunes in little more than 18 months in charge.

Yes, they have been tired, not to mention depleted, over the past month and the fixture marathon has caught up with them.

That has been evident this past week when a 1-0 reverse at Brighton was followed by defeat in Greece in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference – an experience their captain John McGinn says they will learn from.

Yet when you consider that Villa were 16^th and hadn’t competed in Europe since 2010 when Emery took over, the trajectory is evident.

His coaching style has ensured speedy progress at the Midlands club and he prompted almost immediate and rapid improvement from a squad he largely inherited from Steven Gerrard.

His attention to detail is his most potent weapon, with long meetings and deep analysis at the club’s training ground, while he has upped the player welfare by booking the squad into a hotel before each game where the pre-match preparations take place.

The 52 year-old has just extended his contract by 12 months, which will keep him at Villa Park until 2027, and that’s good news for fans looking forward to a Champions League adventure.

While Villa have enjoyed plenty of Premier League highlights – including a league double over Arsenal which will likely cost his former club the title – Liverpool will have mixed feelings about this term.

The announcement in January that fans’ favourite Jurgen Klopp was to depart the Merseysiders after nine years this summer prompted a wave of emotion from players and fans determined to ensure the popular German went out on a high.

Jurgen Klopp is a nominee for the 2023-24 Premier League Manager of the Season — Jurgen Klopp has been shortlisted for the Premier League Manager of the Season

Despite League Cup success in February, that hasn’t quite materialised.

Klopp has admitted he will be on his best behaviour on Monday night as the last thing he wants is to pick up another yellow card which would see him banned from the touchline for his farewell next weekend.

His prickly behaviour over the past month has certainly coincided with a downturn in fortunes which has seen Liverpool go from two points clear at Easter to slipping to third and out of the title race.

Their title bid may have faltered but a third place finish is an improvement on last season’s fifth place,

For Villa, a top four finish so soon after battling relegation, is even more so.

History

Villa have beaten Liverpool on 59 occasions since their very first meeting in 1894. Liverpool have won 102 times, while 41 of the meetings have ended all square.

That also includes the Merseysiders winning 33 of the 56 top-flight meetings with Villa, most recently in September when Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah found the net for the hosts (there was also an own goal) without reply.

In fact, they have only lost one of their last 11 clashes.

However, what a contest it was as Villa hit seven to humble the then defending champions at Villa Park.

Last term saw Liverpool win 3-1 at Villa Park on Boxing Day with goals from Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic.

Ollie Watkins replied for the home side.

By the time of the return fixture a year ago, Emery had Villa motoring and it took a late Roberto Firmino equaliser to prevent them from taking all three points at Anfield after they had taken the lead through Jacob Ramsey.

It was a result which all but ended Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.