Liverpool face a taxing trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday night, but Villains supporters continue to rue an inconsistent season for Unai Emery’s side.
The Reds got back to winning ways over the weekend, but the 2-1 victory at home to Wolves was anything but convincing.
Next up is Wednesday’s away clash with Villa, which is another big hurdle to overcome in Liverpool’s Premier League title hunt.
The Midlands outfit are ninth in the table, which may be seen as disappointing, but they are also in the Champions League last 16.
Ahead of the match, we spoke to Villa fan Tom Fahy (@tomfahy93) to hear about his side’s season, Liverpool’s title chances and a crucial midweek clash.
How happy are you with Aston Villa’s season to date?
It has been an inconsistent season of ludicrous, joyous highs and low moments that make you question some of the players’ commitment to us being a serious outfit.
Qualification in the top eight of the Champions League is beyond our wildest expectations, but then our sputtering Premier League form has brought us back down to earth.
Only two points picked up from the likes of Ipswich is enough to kill your spirit.
Is Unai Emery still as good as ever?
Unai Emery is the greatest manager Aston Villa have had in my lifetime, and quite possibly the best since Ron Saunders.
The manager has ultimately been stifled by the selection issues he has had.
Important players in key positions – Pau Torres and Amadou Onana – spending long spells out and having to deal with the Jhon Duran debacle would be enough to give any manager headaches.
What’s the realistic aim for the season now?
A top-six finish and a strong run in the cups is still possible, fitness provided.
The pile up between fourth and 10th has ultimately been kind to us – you feel if we can generate any sort of upward momentum we can steal in and overtake the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea.
Lifting the FA Cup would be the ultimate dream and many Villa fans would sacrifice the Premier League form for it.
We haven’t lifted it since 1957 and it is the final piece for fans such as my dad who have seen us win everything else.
Who have been Villa’s three best players? Anyone struggled?
Morgan Rogers, the ‘Halesowen Kaka’, has been a joy to watch.
Each week he is unlocking new abilities, and now goals and assists are starting to catch up with the overall performances.
Youri Tielemans is one of the greatest free signings in the history of the league. On his day he is untouchable – utterly press resistant and able to pick a lock from deep.
Lucas Digne has dependable at the back and always a threat with a whipped ball to the back post.
Emiliano Martinez has unfortunately struggled this season. The defence in front of him has chopped and changed with 10 different centre-back pairings, but he has dropped his usual standards.
He has always got a 10/10 performance in his pocket when you least expect it, though.
How do you assess Liverpool’s title chances?
The title from a neutral perspective feels all but wrapped up.
Liverpool have the momentum and Arsenal seemingly do not have the bodies to keep up.
With Arsenal unable to rotate their front three, you’d have to put Liverpool as clear favourites.
What is your favourite and worst Villa Park memory as a fan?
There are dozens of greatest moments I can pick and it all comes down to my mood on the day. This season alone has given me and the fanbase some of our best days.
But at this current moment, and only because it is fresh in my mind after seeing the highlights recently, would be beating Sunderland 6-1 at Villa Park in 2013.
It was an utterly miserable season with the only bright spark being Christian Benteke.
Sunderland rolled in to town with Paolo Di Canio spending the day decrying the poor atmosphere at Villa Park in the past and telling us that for Sunderland this was their “Champions League final.”
A Benteke hat-trick sent them packing and it was a moment of quality we had not seen in a very long time.
Funnily enough, my worst memory of Villa Park also comes from that season – travelling back from university to watch us play Bradford in the semi-final of the league cup.
In a season of lows, losing to League Two Bradford over two legs still hurts me.
Where do you the key battles taking place on Wednesday?
Midfield is the key area for me.
If we can stifle Ryan Gravenberch with the double pivot of John McGinn and Tielemans, we can get a positive result.
With Boubacar Kamara missing, we need everyone to step up, and if we can pinch the ball and have Rogers striding into space, we always have a chance.
Finally, what’s your prediction?
We’re impossible to predict.
We are currently missing our first-choice centre-back pairing, our first-choice right-back and our best midfielder, but we’re a funny side who can raise our game on any given day.
I do expect us to bloody your nose and leave with at least a draw, which would make the Ipswich draw even more infuriating.
