THE last time meeting with Aston Villa gave a glimpse at what was to come for Liverpool. Now, as the teams prepare to lock horns once again this evening, Rafael Benitez wants more of the same.
When Villa visited Anfield back in August, their 3-1 victory proved a barometer of the next four months for both teams.
While the Midlanders have surpassed expectations by becoming firmly ensconced in the top four, Benitez’s side have lurched from one Premier League disappointment to the next.
Even the manner of the defeat that Monday evening provided portents of the forthcoming doom, all three of Villa’s goals largely of Liverpool’s own making – from poor defending at set-pieces, the misfortune of an own goal and the avoidably rash concession of a penalty.
Exactly midway through the season, the Anfield outfit sit a distant seventh on 30 points having dropped 27 points already this season.
That’s only one less than the whole of the previous campaign in which they thrillingly pushed Manchester United all the way to the finishing line in a tense battle for the title.
Liverpool’s challenge now is to propel themselves back into the Champions League qualification places. And having seen off Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day, Benitez wants his players to use tonight’s game as a springboard in the right direction.
“Losing 3-1 against Villa earlier this season was a harsh scoreline because we were much better in the second half before we gave a penalty away,” says the Liverpool manager.
“We know they are dangerous from set-pieces. They have some big players and we will have to be careful.
“They have some good players like Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, James Milner who is playing really well and John Carew. They are very dangerous in attack.
“They have spent some money this season and they are a good team. They have some good players with pace but so do we.”
Benitez adds: “I think it’s always important to win and if we can do that against Aston Villa it would be fantastic. Villa are doing really well so it’s an important game for us.
“Always when you go to Villa Park you know it will be difficult so we have to be ready and we will have to perform well.”
