Aston Villa vs Liverpool LIVE Commentary: Villans can seal Champions League spot with win over Reds: Kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Aston Villa host Liverpool at Villa Park tonight, knowing a win would seal their place in the Champions League next year, and it's live on talkSPORT.

Unai EmeryEngland's men are four points ahead of Tottenham with two games left in the race for a place in the UEFA elite.

It would be a much-needed boost for Villa after the disappointment of Falling out of the Europa Conference League last week.

Meanwhile, LiverpoolThe very slim hopes of winning the Premier League were finally dashed. mathematically extinct the weekend with victories for Arsenal and Manchester City.

The Reds have already secured third place and the Champions League will be played at Anfield next year. Jurgen Klopp He enters his last week as Liverpool manager.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: Champions League battle

Since Villa were crushed 4-0 by Tottenham earlier this year, the race for fourth place has taken a dramatic turn.

Spurs have lost four of their last five Premier League games, including one of their draws against Villa, all but ruining their chances of returning to UEFA's top competition.

However, if Tottenham were to win their last two games and Villa only picked up one point, it would be Spurs who would finish fourth.

Villa should be able to get the two points they need, but Liverpool at home and Crystal Palace away will be difficult.

Of course, Tottenham play Manchester City and Sheffield United, so unless Villa beat Liverpool, the battle for the final Champions League spot could go down to the final day.

But the Spurs would probably need to take three points off City to reach Week 38.

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• Aston Villa have won just one and lost 10 (D1) of their last 12 Premier League games against Liverpool, beating them 7-2 at Villa Park in October 2020.
• Liverpool have won more Premier League away games against Aston Villa than against any other rival (16), while only against Newcastle and West Ham (35 each) have they had more wins overall than against Villa in the competition. (33).
• In the last four meetings between Aston Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park in all competitions, the scoring has been opened within the first five minutes of the match, and both teams have done so twice.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: team news

The Villans are without many players, leaving Emery's team stretched thin.

Tyrone Mings and Emi Bunedia have been out all season due to ACL injuries and Boubacar Kamara has the same problem.

Jacob Ramsey has a toe problem and is also ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Morgan Rogers has a hamstring strain, while Nicolo Zainolo and Alex Moreno are doubtful.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be without Joel Matip due to an ACL injury and Thiago Alcántara is also out.

Diogo Jota is likely to miss this one too.

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• No game in Premier League history has been won by the away team more often than Aston Villa vs Liverpool, with 22 of the 57 meetings between them being away wins.
• Since returning to the Premier League in 2019, Aston Villa have won their last home game in three of their four seasons, with the exception of the 1-1 draw with Burnley in 2021-22.
• Liverpool have only lost their last league game away from home in one of their previous eight seasons under Jürgen Klopp (W5 D2), losing 1-0 to Chelsea in 2017-18.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: What has been said?

Klopp is one yellow card away from being suspended on the touchline and this would mean he would be absent from the bench for his Anfield farewell.

And ahead of this match at Villa Park he has been talking about what is at stake.

He said: “I have known this for a long time. We could turn it around and say that I have only received two yellow cards all season. Some of my colleagues were suspended, right?

“Obviously I calmed down as the years went by. I don't need to be (on the sideline for the final day), but it would be great. “I will do absolutely everything I can to not get involved in any kind of ‘discussions.’”

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• Aston Villa lost 1-0 against Brighton last time, but have not lost consecutive games in the Premier League since May last year (1-0 against Manchester United and Wolves).
• Liverpool have lost just one of their last 26 Premier League games in May (W19 D6) and are unbeaten in their last 18 since a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in 2018 (W15 D3).
• Only against Brighton (6) has Ollie Watkins scored more goals in the Premier League than against Liverpool (5). His next goal will be his 20th in the league this season – the last Aston Villa player to score more than 20 in a top-flight campaign was Peter Withe in 1980-81 (20).
• Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has scored and assisted in four different Premier League games this season, with only Cole Palmer doing so more often (5). He has done it 31 times in total in the Premier League, and only Wayne Rooney (36) and Thierry Henry (32) have done it more.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: Date and how to follow

This Premier League match will take place on Monday, May 13.

Kickoff at Villa Park is scheduled for 8 p.m.

talkSPORT will have coverage from the Midlands, with Adrian Durham as presenter.

Commentary will then come from Joe Shennan and Danny Murphy.

talkSPORT.com will also publish a live blog.

To tune in to talkSPORT via the website, Click HERE to watch the live stream.

You can also listen through the talkSPORT appon DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.