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Things Change Fast in Football

A few weeks ago, all the predictions about this match would have been very different with most sensing that an away win could be on the cards. However, it just goes to show how quickly things can change in football and suddenly there is a whole different complexion to the Liverpool versus Aston Villa match at Anfield on Sunday.

The wheels have possibly come off the Aston Villa bandwagon which was rolling along effortlessly and this weekend saw the club lip out of the top four for the first time this year and there will be nagging doubts that Villa will have blown their best chance of splitting the top four.

Liverpool on the other hand, were looking as though Rafa Benitez and their players were really cracking up as they stumbled and tripped in various games allowing Manchester United to open up what was believed to be an unassailable lead at the top of the English Premier League.

Two thumpings of Real Madrid and Manchester United later and suddenly people are making serious noises about Liverpool being genuine contenders for the domestic and Champions League double. Time will tell if the Scousers can maintain their drive to double delight but they stand a better chance playing the top teams than the weaker teams, or so it seems.

If They Could Only Beat the Small Teams
It's a strange contrast to think that the team who can score eight against Real and United combined have failed to break down Stoke and Fulham at home whilst squandering other points versus Wigan and Manchester City.

This coming match will be a true test of Liverpool's character and if they fail to overcome Villa, many will be questioning the ability of Rafa Benitez to outsmart teams who line up to defend whilst even the most hardened Kopite will probably admit that their victory at Old Trafford was of more use to Chelsea than it was to themselves. This is why it is crucial for Liverpool to maintain their winning ways against Aston Villa.

If Liverpool are to win this league, their hopes undoubtedly rest on Stevie Gerrard and Fernando Torres remaining fit. The pair have been in scintillating form of late and there is no doubt that if they steer clear of injury, there is a good chance that Liverpool can go on a winning run from now to the end of the season. Whether this will be good enough is up for debate but there is no debate that Fernando Torres is looking back to his best.

Torres Back On Form?
A tremendous first season in England and notching the winning goal of Euro 2008 probably placed unreal expectations on Torres to deliver this season and injuries have blighted him throughout 2008/09.

However, the way that Torres forced the usually reliable Vidic into mistake after mistake at Old Trafford, giving Liverpool an equalizer when they looked out of the game showed the quality and skill of the striker. If Torres remains on this form, it is easy to justify why Rafa Benitez felt he could do without Robbie Keane but there is a long way to go and there is still a huge amount resting on Torres's shoulders.

So it is left to Aston Villa to stop the Red Machine but more importantly,Villa need to win for their own sake or they could find what could have been a tremendous season spluttering to a sad end. During and after their home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Villa fans jeered their team and Villa boss Martin O'Neill hasnt been slow in letting the Villa fans know that their behaviour was out of line.

It is fair to say that Villa have a small sized squad and is probably still not properly equipped for the rigours of a full season at the top end of the league. With cash to burn, O'Neill knows he will have to strengthen Villa's squad next season to make them genuine top four contenders but the clubs fans should realize they are well ahead of schedule.

Short Memories for Some Villa Fans
Any fan who booed Villa on Sunday would be advised to think back to the short period of time when David O'Leary was in charge and ask themselves what they would rather watch. Thankfully, O'Leary still remains out of a management job as his abrasive style and lack of class made him one of the more unlikable managers in modern times. It will probably only be a matter of time until O'Leary gets back into football management but the Villa fans should be cheering the fact that he is no longer boss at the Midlands club.

Petrov Needs to Shine
For Villa to get back on track, they will need some big performances with Stilian Petrov really needing to boss the midfield and push on behind the forwards. The Villa fans took a while to warm to Petrov but the fact that he hasn't fully been replaced by Celtic, a far bigger club than Aston Villa if the truth is to be told, shows the quality of the Bulgarian midfielder.

This season, Petrov has shown the performance, drive and determination that made boss Martin O'Neill love him during their time in Glasgow. John Carew is another player who will need to have a strong game for Aston Villa if they want to rekindle their Champions League dreams but at least the big striker has been on goalscoring form of late and may just be in the mood to blast in a goal at Anfield.

It's also fair to say that this game on Sunday will be watched by a huge TV audience as it is not only fans of Liverpool and Villa who have a massive interest in the match, so many other clubs will find themselves affected by the outcome. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton fans will all have an interest in what team gets the points which makes this forthcoming game a crucial one in shaping the run-in of the league season for so many of the teams in the top half of the English Premier League.

by Andrew Reilly

for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk

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