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The Reds have made a sensational start to Arne Slot’s reign and harbour genuine hopes of lifting the Premier League title aloft come next May. However, they will be eager not to allow any complacency to creep in this early in the campaign and Villa’s trip to Anfield is certain to keep them on their toes.
Liverpool beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night to further raise the mood on Merseyside and, despite a few injuries across the team, Slot has a myriad of options to select from in defence, midfield and attack for the Villans’ visit.
Here is how Liverpool could line up against the Midlands side.
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher – Even in the shutout victory over Leverkusen midweek, Kelleher was forced into some smart saves to protect his clean sheet. Alisson’s injury hasn’t hampered the Reds’ progress following strong displays from his deputy.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – Alexander-Arnold hasn’t managed to have the same attacking impact for the Reds as he did under Jurgen Klopp but the right-back is still a key playmaker from deep with his array of striking long-range passes.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – Having been withdrawn with a nasty-looking arm injury last weekend against Brighton, it was somewhat surprising to see Konate play almost the entirety of the Leverkusen triumph. He will maintain his starting place and tangle with Ollie Watkins.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – Van Dijk has been around long enough to know just how threatening Villa will be on Saturday. He was a member of the defence that conceded seven at Villa Park back in 2020/21, with Watkins netting a hat-trick on that day.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – The battle between Tsimikas and Andy Robertson is heating up and it’s difficult to predict which left-back will …
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