Aston Villa v Liverpool: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Aston Villa can secure a top-four finish and Champions League football for next season if they beat Liverpool at Villa Park in the final Monday night match of the Premier League season.

Unai Emery's side may have missed out on a place in the Europa Conference League final during the week but they are within touching distance of securing their spot at the continent's top table for next season.

A maximum of three points from their final two games are required to lock down a top-four berth at the expense of fifth-placed Tottenham, but they may have to put the champagne on ice when Liverpool come to town.

The Reds may have seen their title hopes officially ended over the weekend, but in what will be Jurgen Klopp's penultimate match in charge, they will be determined to put on a show.

Aston Villa v Liverpool betting tips and predictions

Liverpool to win and both teams to score  - 13/8

It has not quite been the ending to the season that Liverpool fans and the outgoing Klopp would have been hoping for, but the Reds did seemingly bring their recent sticky patch to an end with last week's 4-2 victory over Tottenham - a result that also boosted Villa's top-four chances.

While hopes of adding a second Premier League title to his impressive list of honours may have been officially ended by virtue of Manchester City's win at Fulham on Saturday, Klopp will be optimistic his troops can play with the shackles off at Villa Park.

Liverpool certainly have a strong recent record against Villa, as they are unbeaten in the last seven meetings between the two sides, winning six of those, although their last defeat in the fixture was a memorable one - a 7-2 reverse at Villa Park in October 2020.

That chastening loss is also the only defeat Liverpool have suffered on their last nine top-flight visits to Villa and they will be facing a home side on Monday that are seemingly stumbling towards the finish line.

Villa have taken just a solitary point from their last two Premier League fixtures and it is four matches without a win all told following their home and away losses to Olympiacos in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Emery's side have also failed to score in their previous two games, but they were both away from home, while at Villa Park they have netted a minimum of two goals across each of their last seven fixtures.

Liverpool are also free-scoring - only Manchester City and Arsenal have more goals in the Premier League this season - but clean-sheets have proved their Achilles' heel over recent weeks.

The Reds have conceded in nine Premier League matches on the spin and in 14 of their previous 15 in the top flight and Villa have the quality to exploit any potential gaps at the back.

However, given their impressive record in the fixture and the hosts' stuttering form, this is a match Liverpool can go on to win even if they do concede a goal or two along the way.

Mohamed Salah to score first - 15/4

Liverpool's talismanic forward Mohamed Salah may not have been at his best over recent months and there was his high-profile exchange of words with Klopp before coming on in a recent game against West Ham, but the Egyptian appeared to be back on form last weekend, grabbing a goal and an assist in the win over Spurs.

That took Salah's tally to the season to 25 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions and he is capable of adding to that against a Villa side he has enjoyed facing over the years.

The 31-year-old has netted seven goals from nine starts against Villa across his career, including in September's reverse meeting at Anfield - a match that ended in a routine 3-0 win for Liverpool.

Salah also opened the scoring in last season's corresponding match at Villa Park - a 3-1 Liverpool win - and having also netted first against Tottenham last weekend, he is capable of  breaking the deadlock on Monday night.

Douglas Luiz over 0.5 shots on target - 2/1

Midfielder Douglas Luiz has been a key figure in Villa's success this season, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists across 51 appearances in all competitions.

A more defensive midfielder when he joined the club, Luiz has certainly added goals and creativity to his game, with only Ollie Watkins, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey managing more shots, on or off target, for Villa in the Premier League this season.

Luiz has produced a shot on target in three of his last five appearances across all competitions and he is capable of doing so again on Monday, especially as he is also one of Villa's regular penalty takers.

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Aston Villa v Liverpool odds

Aston Villa - 14/5
Draw - 15/4
Liverpool - 3/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.