Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp aware of Aston Villa challenge ahead of Premier League showdown
According to Birmingham World, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is wary of a rejuvenated Aston Villa side ahead of their clash at Anfield next weekend.
The Reds are putting together a run of wins that has rekindled their late push for a top-four finish. While it is not in our hands, this late surge is making Newcastle United and Manchester United sweat.
Villa is our last home game of the season and also happens to be our toughest opponent left. Unai Emery’s men are one of the best teams in the league since January and should present the Reds with a strong challenge.
Villa are also in contention for a Europa League spot and have much to fight for themselves. They are unlikely to give us an easy game and thankfully Klopp is aware of it. He also praised Emery for the job he is doing at Villa, taking them to eighth in the table, winning 45 points from his 24 league games in charge.
“They play a superb second half of the season and fight for Europe as well, so it will be tricky. Unai is doing a h*ck of a job at Aston Villa. We have to make sure we’re ready.”
Liverpool won the reverse leg 3-1 at Villa Park but the upcoming game is unlikely to be anything as straightforward. The Reds have kept three straight clean sheets in the league and are showing signs of improvement in the new formation. Hopefully, we fine-tune it in the remaining games before ironing out the issues in pre-season.
A win will see Liverpool continue to retain hopes of securing Champions League football for next season. Newcastle play Brighton later tonight and a win for the Seagulls should fire up the Reds at the weekend.
Emery is a brilliant coach who knows to get the best out of the players at his disposal. He did so last year with Villarreal and has today turned around Villa’s fortunes. Whether they qualify for Europe this season or not, the Midlands outfit are likely to be a headache for years to come.
The match at Anfield will also serve as Merseyside’s swansong for four first-team stars. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will leave the club in the summer once their contracts expire.
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James Milner and Roberto Firmino are also set to follow them out of the door next summer. Both players leave as legends and the Anfield crowd should be up for one final hurrah.
