Liverpool are back at Anfield and hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League.
There is only a five point gap seperating the two sides, with the Villains having a game in hand.
The reds suffered a shock 7-2 defeat at Villa Park back in early October, a game in which both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were still situated in the reds defence.
Liverpool beat a Villa youth team in the FA Cup a few months later.
After a good period of 3 wins and 3 clean sheets, the reds endured a difficult opening half against Real Madrid in the week and were defeated 3-1 at Madrid's training complex in the Quarter Final 1st Leg of the Champions League.
Liverpool need a positive result today, not just in terms of the Premier League top four chase but also in improving their home form which has been poor since the start of the year.
Two changes for the reds with both Naby Keita and Sadio Mane dropped to the bench. James Milner and Roberto Firmino come into the starting XI.
As it happened...
Not much surprise that Naby Keita isn't in the starting XI. Sadio Mane also drops to the bench.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Salah, Jota, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Thiago, Keita, Mane, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, Davies, R. Williams.
The away team make two changes from the team that beat Fulham 3-1 last weekend. In comes the exquisitely named Marvelous Nakamba and Trezeguet.
Villa: Martinez, Cash, Ngoyo, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, Traoré, Trézéguet, Nakamba, Watkins
Subs: Heaton, Taylor, Engels, El Mohamady, Hause, Barkley, El Ghazi, Ramsey, Davis
We are underway at Anfield!
Liverpool kicking towards the Anfield Road end.
5' Liverpool applying some early pressure.
Corner falls eventually to Salah on the left hand side and he gets a shot away which stings the hands of Martinez.
13' Thought that was going to be it.
Tyrone Mings fails to trap a ball, Salah gets to it and pings it past the keeper but sees it roll just agonisingly wide of the post.
15' And now Firmino fires a shot wide after collecting a good pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A bright start from the reds but that 2021 Anfield luck hasn't arrived just yet.
22' Villa's first chance of the game and it's a decent one.
Free kick from about 30 yards whipped in and a free header for Konsa who heads straight into the arms of Alisson.
28' Douglas Luiz down. Seemed to suffer an injury without anyone around.
Jacob Ramsey comes on. Think this might be a concussion substitution.
Hang on... Luiz argues his case on the touchline and he is staying on.
32' Trent Alexander-Arnold fires in a free kick that is just tipped over the bar.
From the corner, Diogo Jota's header goes just on to the roof of the net.
35' Couple of chances now for Villa.
Matthew Cash there fires a stringer that Alisson gets down low to save. Trezeguet too with a shot that Alisson is behind.
36' Good work from Jota, Wijnaldum steps over it and Salah hits it over the bar.
42' More pressure.
Firmino just knocks it a little bit in front of Jota, Wijnaldum then drills it across the middle of the penalty area but Martinez is down to claim.
43' Here we go again.
Total domination from the reds and Ollie Watkins gets the ball at the edge of the area and Alisson lets it go underneath him.
Poor.
45+2' GOAL!!!
Firmino fires in from about 4 yards.
Ball initially fed to Jota but he doesn't take it first time. He gets to the line and sends it back into Firmino.
Hang on, they looked at that for a long time and had the VAR lines out.
Disallowed.
Ridiculous.
Those VAR checks over millimetres have to stop.
HT: Liverpool 0-1 Villa.
Chalking goals off for this?
Should be 1-1, but the VAR referee has decided it's 0-1.
Second half underway.
48' Robertson cross deep into the area.
Martinez out to claim that one.
49' Douglas Luiz booked for trying to stop the quick free kick.
57' Robertson fires his shot, Martinez parries and Salah is there to hit in the rebound.
1-1.
63' Trezeguet gets a shot away with the outside of his boot.
It beats Alisson, hits the post and bounces back out.
65' Milner gets a yellow card there for winning the ball.
70' El Ghazi replaces Traore for the away team.
Thiago is on to replace Gini Wijnaldum.
74' Andy Robertson and Matt Targett both booked in the last couple of minutes.
Mane being readied to come on for LFC.
75' Sadio Mane replaces Roberto Firmino
82' Trezegeut appears to be in tears as he lives the pitch through injury.
Jacob Ramsey replaces him.
Liverpool have gone off the boil since the equaliser and subs don't appear to have helped at all.
1-1.
87' Kabak replaced by Shaqiri.
YES!!!!!!
90+1' Thiago, to Shaqiri, Thiago shot and great save.
Comes out to Trent at the corner of the area, he sets himself and lashes it into the bottom corner.
Well done Trent!
2-1 to Liverpool.
Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa
A great comeback from the reds. Well done. Well done Trent.
Up to 4th.
Back in to the top four. Might be temporary but a step in the right direction.
