Goals to flow as Suarez returns for Liverpool clash with Aston Villa
Published:Liverpool host Aston Villa in the Premier League with both sides hitting form after a slow start to the season.
With Reds striker Luis Suarez set to return from suspension to face Villa, backing Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals to be scored in the match looks a strong bet at 21/20.
Both clubs will be keen to push up the league table – with Brendan Rodgers’ side 10th and Paul Lambert’s 17th – but the two sides are making the right strides as the busy Christmas period approaches.
The home side have won three games on the bounce in all competitions, and have lost just once in 11 league games.
And the Midlands-based visitors are unbeaten in five outings, including an impressive away performance at Norwich mid-week, which saw them win 4-1 and reach the last four of the Capital One Cup.
That five-goal thriller, coupled with Liverpool’s last match producing five goals when they beat West Ham 3-2, make odds of 9/2 for this match more than a little tempting.
However it may be asking too much to expect another goal-fest this time at Anfield, especially given Liverpool won by just the one goal at home last time while Villa’s most recent Premier League away-day ended goalless.
But the fixture history between these two sides does point to goals, with an average of 3.36 seen from their last 11 encounters on Merseyside following on from their last goal-less draw in 1999/2000.
A bet on over 2.5 goals in the clash would have paid out in nine of those 11 matches and is priced at 8/11 this time around.
Four of the last six meetings ended with a total of over 3.5 goals scored, and that outcome can be backed here at 2/1.
Last season both teams bagged goals as Villa left Merseyside with a point after a 1-1 draw, and backing both teams to score this year looks a worthwhile punt at 11/10.
With the two opposing forward lines currently in good shape, neutrals will be hopeful of an exciting match that has the makings to feature high on the Match of the Day running order.
Darren Bent may have limped off during Villa’s victory over Norwich – with the ex-England striker likely to miss the festive schedule – but Lambert has other options up front to call upon.
21-year-old Austrian frontman Andreas Weimann replaced Bent to bag two goals in six minutes at Carrow Road, and looks set to start alongside the powerful Belgian marksman Christian Benteke.
For the hosts, Luis Suarez’s return from suspension will boost their forward line, while Rodgers might find a place in his starting line up for Jono Shelvey, who garnered praise from the manager for his role as Liverpool’s lone striker against the Hammers.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
