LIVERPOOL will be aiming to make it eight Premier League wins in succession when they welcome Aston Villa to Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds were enduring a pretty topsy-turvy season up until the start of spring but their seven-game winning streak has suddenly catapulted them into the top-four conversation.
Last time out, Jurgen Klopp's men made light work of relegation-threatened Leicester City with a 3-0 stroll to victory at the King Power.
That means Liverpool are now just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United so they will be keen to crank up the pressure on those above them by earning another victory against Aston Villa.
Unai Emery's side, meanwhile, will make the trip to Merseyside off the back of a well-deserved 2-1 win over Tottenham last weekend.
As a result of that victory, the eighth-placed Villians remain firmly in the race to qualify for European competition for the first time since 2010.
Outright Betting
Liverpool emerged victorious from December's reverse fixture and the same outcome here can be backed at a lowly 4/9 (William Hill).
Aston Villa have come away from their last two top-flight road trips empty handed and the bookies' odds suggest they will suffer the same fate here, with an away win trading at 11/2 (William Hill) while a share of the spoils can be backed at 18/5 (BetVictor).
Betting Angles
Liverpool are worthy favourites here but there's good reason to believe Aston Villa can keep this contest competitive, so much so that I'm prepared to play the visitors with +1.25 start on the Asian Handicap at 17/20 (UniBet).
This selection means we'll earn a half-stakes profit in the event Villa lose by exactly one goal, with a full-stakes pay-out secured should the visitors avoid defeat at Anfield.
While Liverpool have won each of their last seven Premier League games, five of those victories were by mere a one goal winning margin, with the only exceptions coming against leaky duo Leeds and Leicester.
That sample includes narrow wins over the likes of Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Brentford, so there is plenty of scope to suggest Aston Villa can provide an equally if not sterner test to Jurgen Klopp's crew.
The Viilians have shown huge improvement under the management of Unai Emery and that is evidenced by the fact that they have lost just six of their 23 league games since deciding to roll the dice in the dugout.
In fact, this particular selection would have yielded profit from a hefty 19 of Aston Villa's 23 league games under the Spaniards stewardship, so siding with the same wager this weekend at 17/20 (UniBet) is a price that definitely represents value.
Switching gears, I'll also dip into the team corner market and back Aston Villa to hit four or more corners at an eye-catching even-money.
Villa earned exactly four flag kicks when visiting both Manchester City and Manchester United in recent months and they look a tasty price to repeat the trick at Anfield.
This English Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa will be played on May 20, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Liverpool vs Aston Villa prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
