The Liverpool Offside - Premier League 2019-20: Liverpool vs. Aston VillaZeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2020-07-05T20:30:00+01:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/210775902020-07-05T20:30:00+01:002020-07-05T20:30:00+01:00Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Resurgent 2 -0 Win Over Aston Villa
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Aston Villa - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L2zY4HIskCVwuozTw_nrr55uNmM=/0x118:782x639/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67019081/1254419380.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We we take a closer look at some of the whys and hows of the match as the Reds showed up late to take a 2-0 over Aston Villa</p> <p id="1HHSEq">After seeing the midfield line up many <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> fans have been stumping for ahead of the game, it seemed like Liverpool would play on the front foot. Instead, it was a very disjointed affair until the steadying presences of <span>Jordan Henderson</span>, <span>Georginio Wijnaldum</span>, and <span>Roberto Firmino</span> came on. In the end, the 2-0 scoreline belied how ugly the match was for the first 60 minutes.</p>
<p id="5oxPTv">Join us as we try and separate narrative from reality of the match up and how it all went down in the end.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ypyCR4">
<h2 id="TQVW68">Winners</h2>
<p id="MPvpkH"><strong>Curtis Jones</strong><br>What a weekend it has been for the local lad. He <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/4/21313414/curtis-jones-signs-five-year-extension">signed a new 5-year contract</a> on Saturday, and on Sunday came off the bench to score a goal.</p>
<p id="SPSliR"><strong>The Subs</strong><br>The introduction of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, and Roberto Firmino immediately changed the game for the better. Liverpool controlled the ball, created space, and showed a fluidity and understanding in the attack that payed dividends in goals.</p>
<p id="3ccZj1"><strong>Alisson Becker</strong><br>Most of the time, you only notice a goalkeeper if they make an outstanding save or a boneheaded blunder. Alisson tends not to have either, mostly due to his stellar footwork and positioning. He couples that with a great ability of when to be aggressive. He put on an understated masterclass today, making several sharp saves without giving up a rebound by getting his body behind the ball. He also came out several times to claim or punch a cross, and even came to the edges of his box to claim balls. I only wish there was a keeper cam where you could truly focus on the little things he does to make it look so simple.</p>
<h2 id="PKR9VD">Losers</h2>
<p id="UfifC2"><strong>Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain</strong><br>I love Ox. He has such an engaging personality, and can be an absolute difference maker in the midfield when he is on form. Unfortunately, he has had a rough go of it since the restart, and it was highlighted today while playing in his preferred midfield role. There is no question about effort here, but he really seemed like he was trying to force things to come off. His touch and his passing were all over the place today.</p>
<p id="DRBvv4"><span><strong>Divock Origi</strong></span><br>Divock Origi is a bit of an enigma. He has scored some absolutely massive goals, and at times is completely unplayable. Other times, like today, he just doesn’t seem to know where he is supposed to be on the field (more on that later). He often ran into the same space as <span>Mohamed Salah</span> or Sadio Mané, and failed to combine with anyone else in the attack. Outside of all that. he did have pretty great hair today, so at least he has that going for him.</p>
<p id="uOIOX5"><span><strong>Andrew Robertson</strong></span><br>Like Ox, there is no question about effort from Robbo, but for the second game in a row he was quite poor. Robertson received the ball quite a few times from long diagonals in a good attacking position, but he failed to do anything with the ball. Defensively, he was caught out a couple of times. He just seems to be chasing the game right now.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="erzRhI">
<h2 id="iNKCMb">Talking Tactics</h2>
<p id="kjAG47">Liverpool’s attack is predicated on using smart movement and quick ball movement at high speed. It requires the attacking trio to understand where the other players are likely to move into so they can play off of one another. This fact was highlighted today in a negative sense with Divock Origi, and immediately in a positive sense when Roberto Firmino came on the field.</p>
<p id="wVZttG">Origi kept making runs into the exact same space that Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah were running into, which pulled extra defenders into the area and killed the passing options. Origi was also very reactive with his runs, waiting until the person with the ball moved into position to pass before starting his run, making it for difficult for other people to play off of him.</p>
<p id="ycr6LC">This is the antithesis of what Roberto Firmino offered when he came onto the field. Firmino is a wizard at recognition and anticipation. When he came on the field, he immediately opened up space for Salah and Mané to operate in by making small runs to drag his defender out of the way and affect other defenders. We saw this on Sadio Mané’s goal, where Firmino recognized that Mané was behind him, so made an early near post post run across the face of his defender to open up the passing lane.</p>
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<h2 id="xt4VYk">What Happens Next</h2>
<p id="iTXgr7">With five games left to play, Liverpool are still looking to set the record for number of points in a season. Win the rest, finish on 104 points. The Reds will be in action again on Wednesday at Brighton & Hove Albion.</p>
<p id="EVDMIu"></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/5/21313803/digging-deeper-into-liverpools-late-2-0-win-over-aston-villa-epl-20-curtis-jones-points-record-raceCruyff Turns Anonymous2020-07-05T18:37:39+01:002020-07-05T18:37:39+01:00Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 0: Man Of The Match
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Aston Villa - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cTmgTlU7JbwWFLZIMjvi1i4rkqk=/0x0:2074x1383/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67018874/1254426951.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><em>After a strong second half leading to a 2-0 win against Aston Villa, we want you to rate your man of the match.</em></p> <p id="Uq76ew">What a difference a half (and some subs) makes. What was looking like another dire performance picked up with a change in personnel. Alisson Becker showed up several times with key saves, and was also aggressive off his line to attack the ball to clean things up. <span>Joe Gomez</span> did a complete 180 from his nightmare on Thursday, and was an assured presence alongside Virgil van Dijk to control things from the back as well as to spring several counters. Sadio Mané worked his tail off as usual, but found no joy until the subs came in. He was electric once he had the space to operate and made a smart run to get his goal. Curtis Jones only had a cameo, but he managed to bag his first Premier League goal just a day after signing a new contract.</p>
<p id="1CzO97">With our favored polling tool out of service, we’re instead giving you a choice between a few of the players we thought looked best today for the Reds, so make your choice below and vote for who you think should be the man of the match—or take to the comments to let us know that we got it wrong by leaving the real man of the match off the list entirely.</p>
<p id="etfFNw">As always, anyone visiting on Apple News or Google AMP who wish to vote and can’t see the poll can make it visible by navigating to the front page of The <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> Offside and re-entering the story.</p>
<div id="DE05hX"><div data-anthem-component="poll:9303114"></div></div>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/5/21313801/liverpool-2-aston-villa-0-man-of-the-match-best-worst-performances-motm-curtis-jones-got-his-goalCruyff Turns Anonymous2020-07-05T18:25:52+01:002020-07-05T18:25:52+01:00Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 0 - Match Recap: Sleepwalking to Victory
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<img alt="Liverpool FC v Aston Villa - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5cXM_2dLsZsFKaOVWk1kmoUyFjg=/0x0:4457x2971/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67018862/1224878953.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA.Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In the end, Liverpool’s superior attacking talent saw them past Aston Villa in a somnambulant match.</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Dtz8w3">
<h1 id="FLAN3y">Liverpool 2 - 0 Aston Villa</h1>
<h5 id="5fK6cV">Liverpool: Mané 71’, Jones 89’<br>Aston Villa: </h5>
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<h3 id="q8hlgz">Pre-Match</h3>
<p id="EVzNVJ">Liverpool won the league. For the first time in three decades. It was kind of a big deal and everybody was happy. Then Liverpool suffered a post-winning-the-league-for-the-first-time-in-three-decades hangover. Which probably wasn’t the most surprising thing ever.</p>
<p id="t2vci4">Which took us to today and a chance for the Reds to show they’re still focused on setting an all time points record in the English top flight against a side deep in the relegation zone—or to show instead that, having won the league, they’ve maybe mentally checked out for the season. In the end, what we got seemed closer to the latter, even if in the end the Reds came away with all three points.</p>
<h3 id="4TayeL">First Half</h3>
<p id="fA9QuU">With Divock Origi given a chance to start at striker and a rarely seen midfield trio of Fabinho, <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span>, and Naby Keïta, manager Jürgen Klopp sent out a changed but still very strong lineup that gave a number of players a chance to impress. In the early going, though, it was a fairly quiet affair, with the Reds holding much of the possession in the opening minutes but failing to create a great deal.</p>
<p id="mIa6mo">Aston Villa, on the other hand, looked set up from the start to limit the damage—to perhaps, in a best case scenario, earn a draw and valuable point and failing that to at least avoid taking too big a hit to their goal differential. And it’s fair to say that the visitors from Birmingham, and manager Dean Smith in particular, would have been happier than Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool seemed to struggle to get into gear.</p>
<p id="uPeJSH">Particularly disappointing was the more advanced midfielders, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keïta, and Origi up front—all had a chance to perhaps stake a claim to a larger role for next season, and as a central attacking trio they were perhaps the most disappointing and least involved players on the pitch for the Reds.</p>
<h3 id="TGfq6z">Second Half</h3>
<p id="nW1aOk">Following one of the most somnambulant halves of football seen from the Reds in recent memory, those watching will have been hoping for a few changes at the half—but manager Jürgen Klopp stuck with his starting eleven, giving them a chance to turn things around and perhaps show a little more passion than they’d managed in the opening 45. By the hour mark, though, the flow of the game hadn’t much changed.</p>
<p id="N1wdta">Klopp responded by bringing on Firmino, Wijnaldum, and Henderson for Origi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Fabinho. The result was Liverpool pushing higher into the Villa end and with a little more control—but still not creating anything of note. Not until the 71st minute, at least, when Trent Alexander-Arnold wandered into midfield and drilled a low pass to to Keïta on the left of the Villa penalty area. Keïta squared to Mané, who sliced it top shelf with his left.</p>
<p id="ehASnB">Liverpool didn’t entirely <em>deserve</em> the goal on the run of play—you probably couldn’t say either team really deserved one. In that one moment, though, the Reds’ superior attacking talent shone through and proved the difference, and that talent would again shine though in the 89th minute with young Curtis Jones scoring his first Premier League goal for the club on a well-spotted Salah nod-down from a Robertson cross.</p>
<h3 id="huU40d">Final Thoughts</h3>
<p id="mTkj2R">You couldn’t accuse Liverpool of playing particularly well—or of seeming to respond positively to their mid-week loss to Man City. In the end, though, their title-winning talent was just enough to see them past a side that looks increasingly likely to be relegated.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/5/21313799/liverpool-2-aston-villa-0-match-recap-match-recap-epl-2019Noel Chomyn2020-07-05T13:30:00+01:002020-07-05T13:30:00+01:00Liverpool vs. Aston Villa Live Updates: Lineups, TV Listings, and How to Watch Online
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<img alt="Aston Villa v Liverpool FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-RGTd9m17XJ43Li54s0Oi7BEye4=/14x103:3860x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67018454/1179907383.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Lineups, television and streaming options, and live Premier League coverage as Liverpool face off against Aston Villa.</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YNevMA">
<h2 id="gUEnun"><strong>LIVERPOOL VS ASTON VILLA</strong></h2>
<h5 id="IZwDzL">
<strong>| Sunday, July 5th |</strong><br><strong>Premier League | Anfield</strong><br><strong>4:30PM BST/11:30PM EST</strong>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qejhF9">
<p id="cRJOHt">After responding to winning their first league title in three decades with a slightly flat performance and loss to <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> mid-week, the Reds will look to bounce back today against an <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> side that will desperate for any result as the Birmingham club desperately seek to avoid relegation to the Championship.</p>
<h2 id="vTwTXi"><strong>PREVIEW & VIEWING OPTIONS</strong></h2>
<p id="RdyH18"><strong>Full Preview: </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/4/21313076/liverpool-aston-villa-epl-2020-preview-team-news-injuries-projected-lineups-how-to-watch">Liverpool vs. Aston Villa</a></p>
<p id="Xaylfe"><strong>Television:</strong> Sky Sports Premier League (UK); NBCSN (USA); Optus Sport (Australia); <a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4uLf/creativeref:1011l39034/adref:LO" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DAZN</a>* (Canada); Star Sports Select (India); Astro SuperSport 3 (Malaysia); SuperSport 3 (Nigeria); 108 mio Stadium (Singapore); SuperSport 3 (South Africa); other listings at <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/">LiveSoccerTV</a></p>
<p id="rILqe6"><strong>Online Streaming:</strong> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fubo.tv%2Flp%2Fsoccer%2F%3Firad%3D343747%26irmp%3D482924%26sharedid%3DTheLiverpoolOffside&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2F2020%2F7%2F5%2F21313551%2Fliverpool-vs-aston-villa-2020-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streaming" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NBC via FuboTV</a>* (USA) | <strong>Online Radio:</strong> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fvideo&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2F2020%2F7%2F5%2F21313551%2Fliverpool-vs-aston-villa-2020-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streaming" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">LFCTV GO</a></p>
<h2 id="vPoct4"><strong>LIVERPOOL</strong></h2>
<p id="SZDvfb"><strong>Starting XI</strong><em> </em>Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Keïta, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Origi, Mané</p>
<p id="q7JdsM"><strong>Bench</strong> Adrian, Williams, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Jones, Minamino, Shaqiri, Elliott, Firmino</p>
<h2 id="WUG7bJ"><strong>ASTON VILLA</strong></h2>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is how Aston Villa line up at Anfield this afternoon. <br><br>Presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/eToro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eToro</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVAVL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIVAVL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AVFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/belFqwrytl">pic.twitter.com/belFqwrytl</a></p>— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1279784679881785347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2020</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YdIVTA">
<h2 id="BSeBLn"><strong>JOIN THE CONVERSATION</strong></h2>
<p id="2ilI5o">If you haven’t already, sign up for an SB Nation account and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/account/setup?community_id=373"><strong>join the conversation on The Liverpool Offside,</strong></a> where we’ll have full coverage of every Liverpool match this season, breaking news, opinion, and tactical discussion.</p>
<p id="2BXBts"><small>*The Liverpool Offside has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Liverpool Offside may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.</small></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/5/21313551/liverpool-vs-aston-villa-2020-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streamingNoel Chomyn2020-07-04T17:30:00+01:002020-07-04T17:30:00+01:00Oxlade-Chamberlain On “Intense” Manager Klopp
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<img alt="Manchester City v Liverpool FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6lRhb176plUkKaKN12OAjEeY1IM=/11x133:1938x1418/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67017093/1253913202.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dave Thompson/Pool via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The midfielder describes what it’s like to play under the German.</p> <p id="RPfnRf">Despite the giant hugs Klopp doles out with impunity, it should come as no surprise that to become champions with seven games to spare takes a considerable amount of hard work and intensity in training. <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span> discussed what it was like being at Melwood with the boss who has already guided them to <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> and Premier League glory.</p>
<p id="T6eMPM"> “It’s intense. There’s no days off at all and there’s no tolerance for levels to drop,” he said <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fnews%2Ffirst-team%2F400780-alex-oxlade-chamberlain-on-melwood-culture&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2Fliverpool-fc-news-coverage%2F2020%2F7%2F4%2F21313286%2Falex-oxlade-chamberlain-on-intense-manager-jurgen-klopp-liverpool-fc-training" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">in an interview</a> with the BBC.</p>
<p id="mq7Xx7">“If they do from time to time as a team, we’re reminded that that’s not good enough and that’s not where we need to be to progress further. I think this sort of period now is a really good period for us. Obviously we’ve achieved what we’ve achieved now and that’s massive for us as a team and, more importantly, for the football club after so long for the fans. </p>
<p id="O9Bd30">“It’s a test of, ‘Right, now we need to go again and we need to go to the next stage and how far can we push this?’ We don’t know but we need to do everything we can to try and stay where we are now and develop again because the league develops every single year and all teams strengthen. It’s hard to keep up those levels and that consistency every year. We now need to keep pushing and pushing ourselves. </p>
<p id="9kcqxh">“Playing for this manager, that’s exactly what he does every day. That’s what we know and what we’ve come to expect. That’s just normal now.”</p>
<p id="5kmweG">It’s undeniable that the culture around Melwood has changed for the better since Klopp came to the club. A team that was once ridiculed for their tendency to leak goals, squander leads, and choke when it mattered most now can’t seem to stop winning. Captain Jordan Henderson has probably added some extra reps to his arm workouts just to be able to hoist all those trophies.</p>
<p id="oEMiUL">Furthermore, even though Klopp is a tough taskmaster, the team has never looked more cohesive or happy. There’s no infighting, no drama, nothing to detract from their shared goals. </p>
<p id="1o9seM">As this season comes to an end, we’ll sure see the players continue to push to win their remaining games, even though they’ve already bagged the title. </p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2020/7/4/21313286/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-on-intense-manager-jurgen-klopp-liverpool-fc-trainingepicskyline2020-07-04T15:00:00+01:002020-07-04T15:00:00+01:00Preview: Liverpool vs. Aston Villa
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<img alt="Aston Villa v Liverpool FC - Carabao Cup: Quarter Final" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JXANgFKZiQseEMaaXdHjCT-7miM=/443x91:3516x2140/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67016826/1189413362.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Liverpool make their Anfield return as Premier League champions when they take on Aston Villa.</p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="uFInjf">
<h2 id="Msu3pa">
<strong>PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS</strong> LIVERPOOL VS. ASTON VILLA</h2>
<h5 id="Bs1zzv">| Sunday, July 5th |<br>Premier League | Anfield<br>4:30PM GMT/11:30AM EST</h5>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="DfAKmS">
<p id="KD4X96"><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> return home to Anfield as Premier League champions for the first time to take on <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a>. After a huge loss to City that looked like our best starting XI was all hung over, it’s likely Klopp will make some changes. The Thursday-Sunday turn around in never fun, and with the title already done and dusted, the manager will likely opt for rotation to keep the players healthy and get some fresh faces on their extended victory tour.</p>
<p id="adRtuB">Aston Villa, on the other hand, will be playing for their lives on Sunday. Dean Smith’s men have been trying to pull themselves out of the drop zone. They moved from 19th to 18th this week, and are now only one point behind Watford. </p>
<p id="QgtoN2">When they went to Villa Park eight months and one pandemic ago, Liverpool came from behind to score goals in the 87th and 94th minutes to clinch the three points. Hopefully those sorts of heroics won’t be necessary in this return fixture. </p>
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<h5 id="rVK7Qt"><strong>Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)</strong></h5>
<p id="F5CJjh">Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Milner; Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Minamino, Mané</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="h9GP1y">
<p id="8TrasQ">The usually stalwart Andy Robertson looked like he needed a break against <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>, and <span>James Milner</span> is an able substitute. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Minamino both made appearances against City on Thursday and may get the call to start for this match. </p>
<p id="rio26w"><span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> and Joel Matip are both out of contention for this match.</p>
<p id="sz8TPX">For Villa, Matt Targett is out with a hamstring problem, while Wesley, <span>Tom Heaton</span>, and Bjorn Engels are all long term absences.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wTXudR">
<h5 id="3JjuEJ">What the Managers Had to Say</h5>
<p id="p4mJcK"><strong>Jurgen Klopp</strong>: ““Now I can start thinking really about how we go into the Aston Villa game and make the line-up – that is what I mean when I say here is the spot where we change the things. It was always like this.”</p>
<p id="jg5TkB"><strong>Dean Smith</strong>: “I’ll think we will see similar to what we have seen week in, week out. They will be a little bit sore from getting beat 4-0, but we know that their attitude is going to be there. I saw it as he [Klopp] did – they had as many chances as Manchester City and their attitude was spot on. We have a chance, we made Liverpool work really hard [at Villa Park] and we were three minutes away from getting the victory ourselves.”</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="v3sHHu">
<h5 id="Iy8Tcx">The Officials</h5>
<p id="MztS03"><strong>Referee: </strong>Paul Tierney. <strong>Assistants: </strong>Scott Ledger, Nick Hopton. <strong>Fourth official:</strong> David Coote. <strong>Replacement official: </strong>Nik Barnard. <strong>VAR</strong>: Chris Kavanagh. <strong>Assistant VAR:</strong> Dan Cook.</p>
<p id="ywqftT">Kickoff is set for 4:30PM GMT/11:30AM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/"><strong>LiveSoccerTV</strong></a>. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2020/7/4/21313076/liverpool-aston-villa-epl-2020-preview-team-news-injuries-projected-lineups-how-to-watchepicskyline2020-07-04T03:00:00+01:002020-07-04T03:00:00+01:00Jürgen Klopp: “If They Deserve a Medal, They Will Get a Medal”
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<img alt="AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2rPcpMJQJ1_y2tmMpa8y0a1gJag=/0x99:3195x2229/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67016055/1187094625.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The manager’s been online all day looking for cool trophies.</p> <p id="JYeGzT">When the Premier League winners’ medals are eventually passed out to the <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> squad, Jürgen Klopp intends that every player on his team gets something shiny. </p>
<p id="IfJVxs">According to Big Rules, a player must play in five matches over the season to be eligible to receive a medal, but a few of the manager’s youngsters currently fall short of that target.</p>
<p id="IFGeLa">Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, and Neco Williams would each have to pick up three appearances over the remaining six games to qualify for an official award. </p>
<p id="rZ2LPW">Klopp insisted on Friday that the boys wouldn’t be shoehorned into action just to make up the numbers. He said Premier League matches wouldn’t be “handed out like sweets.”</p>
<p id="n5qEDt">But the manager also sounds determined to honor his entire squad regardless of the five match rule. Honestly, I think Klopp might have his own trophy guy. </p>
<p id="1qMrbg">“People don’t understand how important a squad is to win a championship. If you play no game you should get a medal.</p>
<p id="i9mO26">“If you are a goalkeeper and you don’t play, you should get a medal because you train five million times for a year and if you don’t train at the highest level you have no chance to win a championship.</p>
<p id="EbzOGt">“So someone decides they need five games to win a medal? These boys will get a medal 100 per cent if I have to produce it by myself.</p>
<p id="6zLOpl">“They can have my medal but it is not really the right rule. What is that?</p>
<p id="3e25Z6">“We have to win football games and it is not about that. We cannot just give the appearances away here and there.</p>
<p id="5N8qi4">“But if they deserve a medal they will get a medal, if not from the Premier League then from me.”</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2020/7/4/21313037/jurgen-klopp-they-deserve-premier-league-medal-curtis-jones-neco-williams-harvey-elliottMatt Wood2020-07-03T15:04:38+01:002020-07-03T15:04:38+01:00Jürgen Klopp says Liverpool Will Use that Losing Feeling
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<img alt="Manchester City v Liverpool FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/opS0mFf2TeCD2Oj1sHNEV9nWu-s=/0x221:3000x2221/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67014207/1253932884.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It’s just a flesh wound.</p> <p id="dovs4z">At his pre-<a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> press conference, Jürgen Klopp was bombarded with questions over <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>’s desire after losing to <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> so heavily on Thursday. Barely a journalist on the call even brought up Villa. </p>
<p id="bNt5tn">Each new faceless voice essentially asked the manager to repeat what he had already said multiple times about his team’s resolve and the coaching staff’s determination to keep the players in top form for the remaining games. Klopp handled it well, though, only obviously tempering emotion after he was asked to overanalyse something <span>Jordan Henderson</span> said.</p>
<p id="IJWjpO">The manager was clearly frustrated with Liverpool’s result immediately following the match but he said that once he hit the training ground on Friday morning, the anger fog had lifted. </p>
<p id="fXcgl4">“I was not in a good mood after the game,” said Klopp. “I was not in a really good mood when I went to bed. I was not in a really good mood when I woke up. And then I arrived at Melwood and I was in a really good mood and I asked myself, ‘Why?’ Because here we change things.</p>
<p id="JlRB2U">“So, the mood is okay. When you lose a game it feels like it feels. We didn’t take it that easy last night but meanwhile I’ve had a little more time to think about the game.</p>
<p id="WcFTmB">“The problem with post-match interviews is that you go inside, have a minute, and then go outside and have all the interviews and you still have all the impressions of the game.</p>
<p id="WWAWhq">“This game last night, we lost in key moments. In these key moments City were better than us. Apart from that, we were good.</p>
<p id="S2S1hd">“We had more chances than we had when we won 3-1 at home but we gave 4 goals away. And then you cannot win against City. </p>
<p id="qG18j2">“So that’s two things, one is the feeling and the other is the facts. Both are important and we will use both.”</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2020/7/3/21312488/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-will-use-that-losing-feeling-manchester-city-aston-villa-jordan-hendersonMatt Wood