Sam Stone

Wed 21 December 2022 16:43, UK

Aston Villa are set to kickstart their Premier League campaign on Boxing Day as Liverpool make the trip to the West Midlands to face Unai Emery’s side.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are looking to get their league campaign back on track after a disappointing start to the 2022/23 season. Despite a below-par start, the Merseyside giants currently sit sixth and are firmly in with a chance of Champions League qualification.

Their trip to Villa Park promises to be the toughest test of Emery’s Villa side to date, however, after Villa’s recent form, they could be well-placed to give Klopp’s men a run for their money. Villa displayed their ability to defend resolutely from crosses against Brighton during their 2-1 win at the Amex, and something similar will likely come their way against Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, Liverpool average the second-highest number of crosses per 90 minutes (17.7) in the Premier League (stats from Wyscout). Furthermore, the Merseysiders have amassed more long balls than any team in the 2022/23 season. It’s clear they will give Villa’s central defenders a tough test from balls being whipped into the box from wider areas.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is clearly their main threat from out wide and it will be essential for Lucas Digne to close the England international down and prevent the crosses into the box.

Against Brighton, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa were imperious. Villa’s central defensive pair managed to repel everything which was thrown their way. Mings managed eleven interceptions and seven clearances during the fixture which helped Emery secure a second victory on the spin. However, Brighton didn’t have a focal point upfront. Unfortunately for Aston Villa, Liverpool have Darwin Nunez among their ranks.

The Uruguayan is beginning to find his feet in the Premier League and is certainly a player who Villa must pay attention to. So how exactly do Villa’s central defensive pair match up against the 23-year-old?

Firstly, Villa should be looking to get Mings matched up against the striker as much as possible, particularly with the ball out wide. Klopp is eager to utilise Nunez’s height, with the striker contesting six aerial duels per 90 minutes. However, Mings’ success rate is 15 per cent higher than the Liverpool striker. Ensuring the aerially dominant Mings is up against Nunez is extremely important.

In fact, we have already seen how the Uruguayan can be dominated physically, with Joachim Andersen getting the better of Nunez earlier in the season during Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw at Anfield. Statistically, Mings and Konsa stand a good chance of being able to dominate him.

Nunez has only won 24 per cent of his offensive duels this season which is something Villa’s defenders could make the most of. Mings and Konsa average 60 per cent and 70 per cent respectively when it comes to defensive duels, which gives them a significant edge over the Liverpool man.

There are obviously areas of Nunez’s game which could cause problems for Villa, with his movement clearly one of his strengths. He manages four shots on average per 90 minutes and makes clever runs off of defenders to find an extra yard of space.

Ensuring they know where he is at all times will give the Villans an excellent chance of nullifying Liverpool’s most in-form threat at the moment.

In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery’s faith in the academy during the World Cup break will reverberate all the way down the club after.