This live blog will provide comprehensive coverage of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool. It will include updates on the score, team news, and analysis from the commentators Lewis Steele and Tom Collomosse as well as insights from Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park in the Premier League , with Lewis Steele and Tom Collomosse reporting from the ground. 18:18How six Premier League sides can play in the Champions LeagueBy Lewis BrowningWe've known this would be the case for a very long time, but it is now starting to become a reality.
If Aston Villa finish fifth in the Premier League and win the Europa League, six English sides will play in the Champions League. That's because Villa will qualify for the competition via Europe, but an extra space is already set aside for that. That means England will have to put another name forward - the team that finishes sixth. So Bournemouth, Brighton, even Brentford fans will be cheering on Liverpool tonight, then Villa next week.
An incredible opportunity for a number of sides. 18:15Players in the houseBy Lewis BrowningThe players have arrived at Villa Park, with the home players receiving quite the reception. They will bow out of this venue today, unsure how both their league and European seasons will end. I wonder what Roberston and Salah are looking at.
Their next clubs, maybe? 18:12'Emery does not trust the bench'By Tom Collomosse At Villa ParkIt’s also a Villa team that needs significant work in the summer. Emery is at the stage where he does not trust many of the options on the bench. Assuming Emery is still here, he’ll want reinforcements at full back, central defence, out wide and through the middle.
The challenge is to recruit much better than they have. 18:10Emery: 'I dreamt of the title'By Lewis BrowningUnai Emery, Aston Villa manager, speaking to Sky Sports: We have seen - at the beginning of the season - that there is a top seven in front of us. We are with West Ham, we are with Everton, we are with maybe Fulham or maybe Brighton. We are the teams behind those teams in the top seven.
Of course when we were in December and we were close with Manchester City and Arsenal even I was dreaming in that moment to fight with them for the title," he recalls. But of course, we couldn't keep the same level they have and the same level they are showing. Their power is more than us, it's clear. But we were competing fantastic and of course we are Aston Villa, we have our historic way.
We have our process here as well now. And how we are doing it, I am so, so happy. 18:07Villa's dipBy Lewis BrowningVilla are sort of stumbling towards the end of this season. Domestically, anyway. They were a serious team earlier in the campaign, seemingly with third locked down - and some even thought they could mount a title challenge for a while.
But recently, perhaps coinciding with their success in Europe, they have struggled. They drew with Burnley last time out, and have also lost against the likes of Tottenham and Fulham. It's not quite been what it could have been in the league.
But, that said, a Champions League finish and a European win - more on that later - would be a huge season for them. 18:04Slot: 'We've dropped points in away games'By Lewis BrowningArne Slot, Liverpool manager: We wanted to be higher or doing better this season. But we've dropped far too many points in away games. And as I said, that's maybe always happening in the end of the season, you constantly feel you are telling everyone the same things.
But dropping points in away games has mainly happened after playing in Europe, in games where usually Liverpool is able to win. Now Villa away doesn't matter if you play it after a game in Europe or after a week of rest, because this will always be a difficult game. But we've dropped points in away games against teams where we usually don't drop points and that has this season happened far too many times after playing in Europe.
And that's one of the reasons why we have not qualified yet for the Champions League. 17:59A season to forgetBy Lewis BrowningIt's easy to forget that Liverpool are actually our defending champions. They romped to the league title last season, winning it with four games to go under Arne Slot. It looked as though the transition from Jurgen Klopp to Slot had been seamless. But, this season, things have gone horribly wrong.
They could yet salvage Champions League football from a horrible campaign, and almost certainly will, but it's been an unacceptable season for a team who were so far clear last year and spent £450million in the summer. They have actually only lost one of their last five in the Premier League - against Manchester United - but were booed off after a draw against Chelsea last time out.
We'll see what tonight brings. 17:57'Liverpool going careful with Isak'By Lewis Steele At Villa ParkI'm told that Liverpool are hopeful Alexander Isak will be fit again for next weekend's clash with Brentford and they are going careful with him tonight. It is a blow, regardless, as this is a tricky test and top five is not yet guaranteed. 17:52Salah back for final hurrahBy Lewis BrowningAnd there we have it - Mohamed Salah is back on the bench for Liverpool.
Two games remain in his Reds career. After nine year, plenty of trophies and a whole lot of goals, he will move on to pastures new in the summer. There were fears he’d never play for the club again when he did his hamstring a few weeks back. But Arne Slot said he would be close to a return, and he is on the bench tonight.
You expect he’ll start next week for his Anfield farewell. 17:50'A team designed to finish the job'By Tom Collomosse At Villa ParkThat's a Villa starting XI designed to finish the top-five job tonight. And fitness permitting, it's the team you have to expect will start against Freiburg, too. With four clear days between now and the final, it's the right call.17:48Breaking:Aston Villa team news: Watkins STARTSBy Lewis BrowningWell, Tom: here's the Aston Villa team for tonight.
I'd say it's pretty strong. All the big-hitters start - including McGinn, Watkins and Rogers. Villa will hope no one gets injured. But they know the enormity of the game. 17:45Breaking:Liverpool team news: Salah RETURNSBy Lewis BrowningLiverpool have made one change tonight for the trip to Villa Park with Joe Gomez coming in for the injured Jeremie Frimpong.
Striker Alexander Isak also misses out of the squad but Mohamed Salah is back on the bench, as is Florian Wirtz after a stomach bug. Key UpdatesTOP STORIES
Premier League Aston Villa Liverpool Unai Emery Arne Slot Alexander Isak Dropping Points In Away Games
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