45′ + 2′ LIVERPOOL EQUALISE! Cash misses the initial throughball into Jota and he keeps it in play to pull it back for Robertson. He drills a shot on goal which is blocked by Mings, but it bounces to the far post for Firmino and he lifts his effort over Martinez and into the back of the net, but VAR is checking this for offside…
45′ Villa look a lot more confident on the ball now and are pushing upfield a lot quicker than before. They’re keeping Liverpool penned back in their own half and they can’t get out as Milner gifts the ball back to Traore.
J. McGinn
Assist
43′ McGinn looked like he was setting himself to shoot which caught out Phillips before the midfielder played the pass through for Watkins.
O. Watkins
Goal
43′ VILLA LEAD! Watkins isn’t given a lot of space when he’s played in on the edge of the box by McGinn, but he still manages to poke a shot on goal between the two defenders. It looks like Alisson has saved it, but it’s poor from the keeper as it bounces under his arm and into the back of the net. 1-0 Villa!
42′ Villa give the ball away again and Firmino has options on either side of him as he breaks through the middle. Salah is forced wide on the right with the pass, but he keeps it in and the ball comes to Wijnaldum. He drills the ball across goal, but Martinez holds onto it.
40′ Liverpool are still pressing high upfield and win the ball back in the final third. Salah switches play out to Alexander-Arnold on the right and he decides to go for goal, only to see his shot blocked by Targett.
38′ Alexander-Arnold isn’t closed down by Villa and he’s allowed to carry the ball out of his own half without being stopped. He drills a low cross into Jota in the box and he steps away from Konsa before hitting a shot, but it’s straight at Martinez.
36′ It’s a sloppy pass out from the back by Phillips and he gifts the ball straight to Traore. He plays a great throughball between the defenders for Trezeguet. He scuffs his shot though and it’s a comfortable save for Alisson at his near post.
34′ Liverpool are keeping the pressure on Villa here but some of their passing in the final third is letting them down at the moment. Robertson is breaking down the left, with a lot of space to run into, but Milner overhits his throughball and it rolls straight out of play.
32′ CLOSE! Robertson goes over to take the corner for Liverpool and he whips his cross into Jota in the middle of the box. He flicks his header on down the middle and it skims the top of the crossbar on its way over.
31′ GREAT SAVE! McGinn catches Fabinho with a late challenge just outside the box and it’s within shooting range for Alexander-Arnold. He steps up, curling his shot towards the near post and Martinez gets his fingertips to it to tip it over the crossbar.
29′ Ramsey is stripped and ready to come on as Luiz makes his way to the side of the field with the medical team and there’s a discussion about whether or not the Brazilian can carry on. He’s going to though and Ramsey makes his way back to the bench.
27′ Luiz has gone down off the ball for Villa and the medical team have come on to give him some treatment after he was caught in the head a little earlier on. Smith is getting a substitute ready and it doesn’t look like the midfielder is going to be able to carry on.
E. Konsa
Yellow Card
25′ Konsa pulls back Jota to stop his run which earns him the first yellow card of the game.
24′ Liverpool break quickly on the counter-attack, with Robertson driving forward for the hosts. He plays a dangerous low cross into Firmino in the middle, but he can’t get ahead of Mings and Villa are able to clear their lines.
22′ Luiz wins a free-kick for Villa on the left and they have a chance to put the ball in the box now. Targett picks out Konsa, who is unmarked at the far post, but he heads his effort straight at Alisson, who holds onto it.
21′ Liverpool have now gone over 12 hours without a home goal from open play in the Premier League.
19′ Villa just can’t get out of their own half at the moment as Targett gives the ball away this time. Milner switches play out to Jota on the right. He turns away from his defender before firing his shot down the middle, but there’s not enough dip on it and it flies over the bar.
17′ Alexander-Arnold is picked out in space on the right again and he squares another great cross into the six-yard box. Firmino is onto it to poke an effort on goal, but Martinez is quickly off his line to smother it just as the offside flag goes up against the Brazilian.
15′ CHANCE! Liverpool are on the attack again as Alexander-Arnold squares it to Firmino in the middle. He keeps hold of it despite a heavy first touch and drags his shot through Konsa’s legs and wide of the far post.
13′ GREAT CHANCE! Mings completely misses Jota’s throughball and Salah is one-on-one with Martinez. The goalkeeper rushes out and Salah hits it first time towards the far bottom corner, but it rolls just wide of the post.
11′ Liverpool are knocking it around on their right, trying to find a way into the box, when Targett intercepts and drills a throughball forward for Watkins. Phillips misses it, but there’s too much on it for the forward and Alisson comes out to collect.
9′ Cash heads his clearance straight to Milner and he does well to hold off Traore and poke it through to Firmino. He wrongfoots Mings and moves into space but then scuffs his cross into Salah and it rolls harmlessly out of play.
7′ Liverpool are starting to find their rhythm now and are keeping Villa under pressure high up the field. Robertson plays a long ball over the top for Jota to chase and he brings it down before cutting into the box but he fouls McGinn in the process and Villa have a free-kick.
5′ GOOD SAVE! Villa don’t clear their lines properly from a corner and Salah steps away from Cash on the left of the box. He drills his shot at the near post and Martinez gets two hands to it to push it wide of the target.
4′ Salah has space on the edge of the box and he dummies a shot before touching it out to Alexander-Arnold on the right. He carries it to the byline before fizzing a low cross into the near post, but it’s blocked by Targett.
2′ Villa have made a bright start and have a free-kick near the byline on the right which Traore steps up to take, but it’s cleared by the first man. Luiz tries to keep it alive, but he sends his throughball straight out of play.
1′ McGinn gets the game under way for Villa!
The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away.
Following the 7-2 win earlier in the campaign, Villa are looking to complete a Premier League double over Liverpool for the first time since the inaugural season in 1992-93 under Ron Atkinson.
Dean Smith also makes two changes to his team after their win over Fulham last weekend. Trezeguet, who came off the bench to score twice in that game, comes in along with Nakamba. El Ghazi starts on the bench.
Jurgen Klopp makes just two changes to the side that lost to Madrid last time out, with Milner and Firmino both coming in. Keita and Mane drop to the bench.
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Anwar El Ghazi, Keinan Davis, Tom Heaton, Ross Barkley, Ahmed El Mohamady, Bjorn Engels, Neil Taylor, Jacob Ramsey, Kortney Hause.
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa Ngoyo, Tyrone Mings, Matt Targett; Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba; Bertrand Traore, John McGinn, Trezeguet; Ollie Watkins.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Adrian, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ben Davies, Rhys Williams, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri, Thiago Alcantara.
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Phillips, Ozan Kabak, Andy Robertson; James Milner, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota.
It was a high-scoring match between the two in the reverse fixture, with Villa coming out on top in a 7-2 win. The visitors have won just two of their last eight games coming into today (D3 L3), though one of those wins came last time out when they beat Fulham 3-1. As for Liverpool, they’ve won their last two Premier League outings, but have lost their last six matches at Anfield in the competition. They also come into this meeting on the back of a loss after being beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League meeting between Liverpool and Aston Villa at Anfield!
Roberto Firmino
Goal