‘Absolute Engine’ – Liverpool Coach Warns On Aston Villa’s Threats | OneFootball

Liverpool player-coach Jay Spearing has praised Unai Emery for building a side that can fight and urged the Reds to be wary of Aston Villa’s weapons.

Emery returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2022, after a previous spell at Arsenal had raised questions over whether he could tackle the unique challenge of English football; the Gunners sacked him in 2019.

Leeds United had also been keen on him, but their then CEO admitted they could not land him.

After leading Villarreal to their first European final and subsequent trophy and to the Champions League semi-final a year later, Emery guided Aston Villa back to Europe after more than a decade of absence and to the Champions League a season later.

Spearing lauded Emery for building a strong core to his side, which enabled a quarter-final appearance in the Champions League last season while narrowly missing out on qualification again for this season on goal difference.

Liverpool have to be wary from the kick-off, feels Spearing, as the Villans carry threats from all positions on the pitch.

Spearing said on LFC TV’s Reaction (19:40): “The squad that they have got, he has built that over the last few seasons, it’s not been done overnight.

“Matty Cash down one side, [Lucas] Digne down the other side, [Ezri] Konsa in the middle.

“[Boubacar] Kamara, I really like Kamara as well.

“[John] McGinn is an absolute engine, he can run all day long.

“We also forget [Ollie] Watkins. Watkins is an international footballer who scores goals at Premier League level all the way through.”

Liverpool have been vulnerable from set pieces this season and that is something Spearing, who is on the books at Anfield as a player-coach and works with the Under-21s, is concerned about.

“Listen, when they come on Saturday it’s not going to be easy.

“Liverpool have to be switched on from the first minute and they also have to be ready for more set-pieces.

“The likes of [Amadou] Onana will be in there, he’s a threat from them.

“Just like anybody else, he’s built a side that can fight in the Premier League and we have to be ready for it”

After their draw against Sunderland in September, Emery called out his players for being lazy.

Since then though, Emery has managed to silence the doubters once again by winning six out of seven subsequent games to date.

Aston Villa are on the longest winning streak in the Premier League at four games, while Liverpool are on the longest losing streak, also at four.

Slot will like to take inspiration from Emery, seeing that the best way to silence naysayers is through getting results on the pitch, and as a reminder that while form can be temporary, class remains permanent.

While the Villans have shown how quickly things can turn around for the good in the Premier League, Emery will want to keep the Reds from entering their own purple patch until after the weekend.