After a poor run of form in the Premier League, Liverpool return to the FA Cup in the 3rd round as they face Aston Villa. The Reds have been very poor and will take this as an opportunity to rest their star players who have played week in week out. The squad strength of will be on test again as Klopp will look to chop and change things but will also want to go on as far as possible in the FA Cup.
The Reds of Liverpool seem to have gone into some sort of a shell and are simply unable to score goals in the recent past. Mo Salah and Mane have failed to deliver and maybe it is time for them to get some time off the pitch. With about no experienced centre-back in the squad, Klopp will count on his young guns to get him the victory against Aston Villa.
Let us now have a look at how Jurgen Klopp might set his Liverpool side up against the vibrant Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
THE 4-3-3
The 4-3-3 is the most likely system and formation which is expected to be employed by Klopp against Dean Smith’s Aston Villa side. The last time these two sides met, Villa thrashed seven goals past Liverpool sensing shockwaves throughout the world. The Reds will look to avoid a scoreline of such magnitude and will look to turn their poor run of form in the Premier League with a win in the cup.
Thiago has returned from injury after his long absence and might be played again to find his feet in competitive football. James Milner and Curtis Jones are expected to make up the rest of the midfield three along with the Spaniard. Milner is Klopp’s Mr Reliable and always turns up with the goods when the manager asks him to play for the Reds.
The frontline of Liverpool is expected to look very different from the usual one that plays in the Premier League. Divock Origi might play his last game in a Liverpool shirt as he looks to leave the club in search of game time. Minamino and Shaqiri might get rare starts for Liverpool as well as Salah and Mane have played a lot of football recently.
THE 4-2-3-1
The only other system Klopp might go for other than the 4-3-3 is the 4-2-3-1 with the midfield double pivot. Thiago and James Milner are likely to hold the key to Liverpool’s success in such a system as both the players complement each other’s playing abilities. The full-backs of Liverpool have always been very influential but Neco Williams isn’t nearly as good as Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The No.10 position is likely to be played Takumi Minamino, who has been very much in and out of the team since his arrival last season. Kelleher is again likely to be in between the sticks after he has outshone Adrian, who is much more experienced than the former. Liverpool should win this game but looking at their current form of both the sides, you might be in for a treat as neutral.
