Liverpool v Aston Villa live: Team news as Arne Slot leaves out Florian Wirtz for Premier League clash | OneFootball

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Arne Slot voices frustration over Liverpool's surprise dip in form

Liverpool are taking on Aston Villa tonight in desperate need to arrest their slump and get their troubled season back on track.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions have lost six of their past seven games in an extraordinary downturn since winning the first five games of the campaign. Pressure is increasing on the Liverpool manager to find that elusive league win that will stop the rot and keep alive hopes of retaining the title.

Aston Villa’s season has gone in the opposite direction, and their early struggles have been forgotten after a run of six games unbeaten in the Premier League and four wins in a row. Unai Emery’s side pulled off a surprise victory over Manchester City last time out and will be confident they can add the champions to their list of scalps.

Arne Slot on leaving Wirtz on the bench

“We have so many players available, especially in midfield. These are the players we have chosen and I can tell you we will need more than 11 players tonight.”

Lawrence Ostlere1 November 2025 19:44

Liverpool v Aston Villa

For all Liverpool’s troubles this season, they can jump up to second in the table with a victory of three goals tonight, and third with any other win. A big opportunity to get back on track.

Aston Villa are on the same points – 15 – and so can do exactly the same, of course.

Lawrence Ostlere1 November 2025 19:39

Liverpool v Aston Villa

Villa have won their last four league matches and are one place behind Slot's team in the table, but level on points.

Liverpool then host LaLiga leaders Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to fifth-place Manchester City on November 9.

The Merseyside team's troublesome start, which included an ugly fourth-round League Cup exit on Wednesday in a 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace, comes despite the club spending £446m on new recruits in the close season.

However, Slot said he was pleased with his squad.

"We miss nothing," he said. "I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have, but not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.

"When three or four are injured you go back to 16 players," Slot added. "You have to keep them fit as we did last season... A few others have missed out on pre-season or had injuries during pre-season.

"It has been more difficult than last season to keep them all available. Maybe last season we were more lucky and now we are more unlucky. But, no excuses for our results before people say this.

(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)