Aston Villa vs. Liverpool – FA Cup, January 8, 2021

Aston 7-2 Liverpool. Remember that?

Three months ago, Dean Smith’s men humiliated the defending EPL champions. The two sides clash again on January 8, this time in the third round of the FA Cup.

Nobody is quite sure what will happen this time around, although I try my best to foresee the outcome of Friday’s tie in this Aston Villa vs. Liverpool betting preview.

After taking a look at the bookmakers’ odds, I share my prediction and pick.

Despite everything that has happened this season, Liverpool (2.10) is still the favorite with the top online betting sites to advance to the next round. However, Aston Villa (3.15) knows what it takes to beat the Reds.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the odds for the home win and the draw (3.60) generate plenty of interest in the coming days.

Let’s be real for a second – Aston Villa’s 7-2 thrashing of Liverpool was a freak result; there is no denying that. But the Villains can take huge confidence from the fact that they have already embarrassed Jurgen Klopp’s side this term.

In fact, Smith’s men have embarrassed many of England’s top teams in 2020/21.

Villa kicked off the campaign with four straight victories, seeing off Liverpool and Leicester in that time. Wins over Arsenal and Wolves followed while a five-game unbeaten streak in December showed just how far the team has come.

Of course, Jack Grealish is still the star of the show. The influential playmaker has already notched up six goals and nine assists this season, including two goals and three assists against Liverpool.

But unlike the last term, Grealish’s teammates seem to be chipping in on a regular basis at the moment. Anwar El Ghazi has netted five goals in his last six appearances, while Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore are both contributing consistently.

October’s humiliation at Villa Park appeared to flick a switch for the Reds. After the defeat, they strung together a 12-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, beating title-rivals Leicester and Tottenham along the way.

However, Liverpool now heads into Friday’s clash on a three-matches winless run.

Following below-par draws against West Brom and Newcastle, the Merseysiders were beaten 1-0 by Southampton last time out. Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession and recording 17 shots, they failed to make the most of their dominance.

It’s fair to say that Klopp’s side has lacked a cutting edge in attack lately. The Reds have only scored once in their last three EPL outings, with the forwards missing a number of notable opportunities at St. Mary’s.

Still, the 7-0 victory over Crystal Palace just before Christmas serves as a reminder of Liverpool’s firepower.

In all honesty, it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen when Liverpool visits Villa Park on Friday. Klopp is renowned for fielding a weakened starting XI in the FA Cup, meaning the Villains could stand a better chance of securing back-to-back wins over the Reds.

Then again, with Villa challenging for a European place in the Premier League, Smith may also use Friday’s game as an opportunity to rest a number of key players. In light of this, I feel like the draw is the way to go here.