Date: 29 Dec 2009 Comments: 1

Two wounded beasts collide. Aston Villa were just recently (Sunday) beaten at the Emirates by what would be considered a heavy defeat by their standards this season (0-3). Liverpool on the other hand won on Sunday, but they have been struggling all season, and are still 8th on the table, so also by their own standards they are very much lagging behind on their target.

I’d be more worried about the home side today, as there certainly looked to be some tired legs in the 2nd half of the Arsenal game. Those were O’Neill’s best XI (more or less) so he cannot afford to rotate his squad either. Also the fact that Ashley Young is out on suspension makes it a little bit risky to bet on a home win, especially with Emile Heskey still out injured.

I will not talk much about the Liverpool win over Wolves The important thing is that they got their 3 points, and it’s all that matters at this time for Benitez men to get back to the race for Europe.

However, the Reds are so poor on the road this season they have only won 2 of 8 games. I am –of course discounting the win at Goodison Park, but even if I do count it; they’d have won only one third of their games on the road, which is nothing close to what you would normally expect from them.

Kuyt was partially rested in the Wolves game on Sunday, coming in as a substitute for a few minutes. Today he will be expected to restored into the starting line-up. Javier Mascherano though is still suspended.

Villa were winless in years vs Liverpool before they ended that run earlier this season with an emphatic display and a respectable 3-1 win at Anfield. Today they have a chance to make the double over the Reds, but somehow I don’t think this will be the case.

Also Liverpool’s away form along with the Villa home form (6-2-1) prevent me from backing the away win, so it follows I am only left with the draw to bet on.

Pick:

Draw @ 3.40 w/ Stan James