Liverpool needed a goal in stoppage time to win at Villa Park last season and are unlikely to find it any easier on Sunday
Isn’t it grand to see Aston Villa acting like a big club again? It is not just about spending money, which any rich fool can do, it is about investing in the right people for the right reasons. With Dean Smith in the dugout and Ross Barkley this past week becoming the latest of five promising recruits signed during this transfer window, Villa look to be building well.
That does not mean that a club that escaped relegation on the final day of last season will beat the champions on Sunday but they can at least be expected to show enough improvement to swell hopes for the rest of the campaign. “Liverpool will be a great marker to see how far we have moved on,” says Smith.