Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Top-five combatants Liverpool and Aston Vila will hope to distance themselves from one another on Saturday when Paul Lambert takes his men to Merseyside.
The Villans remain unbeaten this term while Brendan Rodgers' side slipped up against Manchester City, but the Anfield hosts will be eager to build on a 3-0 triumph over Spurs last time out.
Last season, Villa managed to take a point from their trip to Anfield, giving each team further reason to reach for the win, with a place among the English hierarchy resting on the line.
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Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
Time: 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK, subscription required), NBC Sports Live Extra (US, subscription required)
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBC (US)
Liverpool Without Their Lion
Danny Welbeck made sure that England didn't miss Daniel Sturridge too much in their 2-0 win over Switzerland earlier in the week, and Mario Balotelli will be hopeful of easing the burden on Saturday.
It's for injuries just like this that the Italian was brought to Merseyside in the first place, FIFA confirming Rodgers' verdict that his starting striker will be out for up to six games:
Balotelli had a positive debut against Tottenham and took on his share of the attacking threat, but he'll need to do more than that in the absence of a player who's been scoring in consistent numbers since arriving at the club.
It's the chance Balotelli would have been hoping for, with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson also needing to step up in his stead.
To the Victor Go the Spoils
It's not all too frequently in recent years that a meeting between Liverpool and Aston Villa posed such a huge bearing on the table standings, but such is the case this weekend.
One may not have foretold that after three games, the Villans would come to Anfield this season in a superior standing to their Merseyside foes, having dropped just two points thus far.
Third and fifth, respectively, it's for this reason that Rodgers' side will be particularly geared up for the opportunity to take three points on Saturday, a reward that would see them jump above the Birmingham natives.
At this stage of the season, Villa's early fixtures have perhaps flattered them slightly, with them conceding just one goal but also managing an average of just one per game.
The Red well be looking to put a stopper on that unbeaten league streak, with the benefits of doing so likely to give them a major boost in the standings, especially as Arsenal and Chelsea clash in north London earlier in the day.
