Aston Villa have a World Cup winner on their roster. The man in question is goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who won the title with Argentina, earning himself the FIFA Golden Glove award along the way. This, however, also means that he (probably) won’t be between the sticks on Boxing Day when the Villans are playing Liverpool.
Is this something that should worry them? We think it should because the Reds are coming to Birmingham with all three points on their mind.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool Odds
Moneyline
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa | +375 |
| Draw | +280 |
| Liverpool | -143 |
Totals
| Totals | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 2.5 | -161 |
| Under 2.5 | +129 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Villa Park in Birmingham
- Date: Monday, December 26, 2022
- Time: 12:30 PM ET
- How to Watch: NBC
Aston Villa to Miss a Couple of Important Players on Monday
In addition to Martinez, the Villans will miss a few other first-team players. Playmaker Philippe Coutinho remains sidelined due to a thigh injury, while full-back Diego Carlos is struggling with his Achilles tendon.
Still, even with these players on the roster, the Villans would probably struggle against the Reds. The thing is that this team usually doesn’t do great against big favorites. In the 2022-23 season, we’ve already seen them lose to teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle. However, most of those losses happened during Steven Gerrard’s tenure.
With Unai Emeri as their boss, the Villans have been doing well. In fact, with him as their boss, they’re 100% in the Premier League, with one loss in the FA Cup (to Man United) and a 1-1-2 record in friendlies during the World Cup.
Boxing Day is When Liverpool’s Surge Starts?
The Reds are sitting in the no.7 position in the Premier League Standings with 22 points (6-4-4). They might be 15 points behind table leaders, Arsenal, but they still have a good chance to get to the Top 4 before the end of the season.
It’s very likely that their goal is to qualify for the Champions League and for that to happen, they need to enter a winning streak. Actually, they’ve already started winning before the World Cup break – they beat Tottenham and Southampton.
The good news for Liverpool is that only two of their first-team players are unavailable for the Boxing Day game due to injuries. Those two are Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, who should return in January. All the others are reportedly fit and ready for Monday’s game.
Ibrahima Konate might miss the match – as he played for France in the World Cup Final – but Jurgen Klopp shouldn’t worry much about that. He’s got some decent alternatives in that position.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool Prediction
Duels between these two are usually very fun to watch. Liverpool tend to win most of the time, but when Aston Villa triumph, they do it in style – just think of their 7-1 win in 2020.
This time, however, we think the Reds are going to win, but the Villans will sure give them a run for their money. As a result, the fans will be entertained, potentially witnessing a number of goals on both ends.
Picks: Liverpool to win; over 2.5 goals