Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park on Friday, 15 May 2026, for one of the biggest matches of the Premier League's closing weeks. The two clubs enter the fixture level on 59 points after 36 matches, with Liverpool sitting fourth only because of their superior goal difference and Aston Villa occupying fifth place.
The importance of the match goes beyond simply finishing fourth. Both fourth and fifth place will qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League, meaning victory for either side on Friday night would guarantee a top-five finish with one match remaining.
Villa also have another major occasion approaching. Unai Emery's team will face Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on 20 May after eliminating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals. That leaves Emery balancing two huge objectives: securing Champions League football through the Premier League and preparing his players for the opportunity to win a European trophy.
Liverpool arrive in very different circumstances. After winning the Premier League last season, Arne Slot's side have endured a disappointing title defence and will finish the current campaign without a trophy. Champions League qualification has therefore become their most important remaining objective.
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Aston Villa vs Liverpool Head-to-Head Summary
Liverpool have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, although Villa Park has provided them with two difficult matches in succession. Across the last 10 Premier League meetings before Friday's game, Liverpool have won seven times, while three matches have ended in draws. Aston Villa have not beaten Liverpool during that sequence.
Liverpool wins: 7
Aston Villa wins: 0
Draws: 3
Liverpool goals: 21
Aston Villa goals: 9
Total goals: 30
Average goals per match: 3.0
Villa's last Premier League victory over Liverpool remains the extraordinary 7-2 win at Villa Park in October 2020. Since then, Liverpool have regained control of the fixture. Villa have won only one of their last 16 Premier League meetings with the Reds, losing 12 and drawing three.
However, Liverpool have not won on either of their previous two league trips to Villa Park. A dramatic 3-3 draw in May 2024 was followed by another entertaining 2-2 draw in February 2025.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool Last 10 Matches
The last 10 Premier League meetings before Friday's match are:
1 November 2025: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa
19 February 2025: Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool
9 November 2024: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa
13 May 2024: Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool
3 September 2023: Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa
20 May 2023: Liverpool 1-1 Aston Villa
26 December 2022: Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
10 May 2022: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
11 December 2021: Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
10 April 2021: Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa
Those results give Liverpool seven victories and three draws, with a 21-9 advantage in goals. The reverse fixture this season ended in a 2-0 Liverpool victory at Anfield on 1 November 2025. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring before Ryan Gravenberch doubled Liverpool's advantage in the second half.
The victory was especially important for Slot's side at the time because they entered that game on a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats. Liverpool will therefore be looking to complete their first league double over Aston Villa since the 2021/22 season.
Aston Villa Current Form
Aston Villa's European form has been considerably stronger than their recent Premier League results. Villa enter Friday fifth with 59 points, four ahead of sixth-placed Bournemouth. However, they have collected only one point from their previous three league matches, leaving Champions League qualification less secure than it appeared a few weeks ago.
Their latest league fixture ended in a 2-2 draw away to already-relegated Burnley. Jaidon Anthony put Burnley ahead before Ross Barkley equalised, and Ollie Watkins later gave Villa a 2-1 lead. Zian Flemming responded for the hosts, leaving Emery's side with just one point.
That followed consecutive league defeats against Fulham and Tottenham. Fulham beat Villa 1-0 at Craven Cottage on 25 April, while a heavily rotated Villa team lost 2-1 at home to Tottenham on 3 May as Emery rested several players around their Europa League commitments.
Their European performances tell a different story. After losing the first leg of their Europa League semi-final 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, Villa produced a superb response at Villa Park, winning the return leg 4-0 to reach their first European final in 44 years.
That result underlines the difficult balancing act facing Emery. Villa's Premier League form has suffered during their European run, but they remain one victory away from securing Champions League football through the league.
Liverpool Current Form
Liverpool have also lost momentum at an important stage of the season. The Reds drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Anfield in their most recent match. Ryan Gravenberch gave Liverpool an early lead, but Enzo Fernández equalised for Chelsea before half-time. Liverpool hit the woodwork late in the game but could not find a winning goal.
That draw followed a damaging 3-2 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 3 May. Liverpool fought their way back into the contest but ultimately left without a point as United confirmed their own Champions League qualification. Before those setbacks, Liverpool had beaten Crystal Palace 3-1 at Anfield and Everton 2-1 away from home.
Slot will be particularly concerned about Liverpool's away record. They have won only seven of their 18 away league matches this season while suffering eight defeats. The manager acknowledged before the Villa game that dropping too many points away from Anfield is one of the main reasons Liverpool have not already secured Champions League qualification. Friday will be their final away match of the season.
Home and Away Analysis
Villa Park could play an important role in deciding this match, although Villa's recent home league record has become less convincing. Emery's team have lost four of their previous eight Premier League home matches, winning three and drawing one. That represents a significant change after Villa had previously won eight consecutive home league games.
Their recent performances against Liverpool at Villa Park should nevertheless be encouraging. The last two league meetings here ended 3-3 and 2-2, and Villa have repeatedly found ways to create opportunities against Liverpool's defence.
Liverpool also have a remarkable attacking record at this stadium. The Reds have scored at least twice in 10 of their previous 11 Premier League trips to Villa Park, including each of the last eight. That history, combined with the attacking talent available to both managers, suggests there could again be goals.
Tactical Matchup and Style of Play
1. Aston Villa
Emery is likely to use the structured 4-2-3-1 that has become familiar during his time at Villa. Villa are comfortable allowing opponents to push forward before using quick combinations to attack the spaces left behind. Morgan Rogers provides direct running and creativity around the penalty area, while John McGinn's work rate and ability to carry possession can help Villa break Liverpool's pressure.
Ollie Watkins remains the central threat. Watkins enters this match in excellent individual form, having been directly involved in 12 goals across his previous 13 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine and assisting three. He also has an impressive Premier League record against Liverpool, producing six goals and two assists against the Reds.
Villa will also need to manage Liverpool's press carefully. Giving the ball away cheaply in their own half could allow Slot's midfielders and forwards to create chances before Villa have time to recover their defensive structure.
2. Liverpool
Liverpool are expected to operate in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, depending on how Slot structures his midfield. The Reds still want to control possession, regain the ball quickly and push players into advanced positions, but their season has been undermined by inconsistency and problems defending transitions.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister will be important in midfield, while Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong and Liverpool's other attacking options will be expected to stretch Villa's defensive line. The possible return of Salah provides another weapon, even though Slot has made clear that the Egyptian is only ready for limited minutes.
One area Villa may try to exploit is Liverpool's vulnerability when opponents bypass their initial pressure. Teams have regularly used more direct passing against Slot's side this season, forcing Liverpool's defenders to deal with first balls before competing for possession from the second ball. Premier League analysis earlier in the campaign identified this as one of the recurring ways opponents had disrupted Liverpool's shape.
Aston Villa Team Injuries and News
Villa's confirmed injury situation is different from the one in the original version of this article. Emery confirmed on 14 May that Amadou Onana, Alysson and Boubacar Kamara remain unavailable for the Liverpool match. Kamara's absence is particularly significant because of the defensive security and ball progression he provides in midfield. Onana's absence also reduces Emery's options in that area of the pitch.
Harvey Elliott will not be able to face Liverpool because the midfielder is on loan from the Reds and is therefore ineligible to play against his parent club. The positive news for Villa is that Emery indicated the rest of his players should be available. That means defenders Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa are not confirmed absentees, as previously suggested.
With the Europa League final only five days away, Emery could still manage individual workloads carefully, but he has made clear that finishing inside the top five remains a major objective.
Liverpool Team Injuries and News
Liverpool received a significant boost when Slot confirmed that Mohamed Salah will return to the squad. Salah has missed Liverpool's previous two matches because of a muscle injury suffered against Crystal Palace. However, Slot confirmed on 14 May that he will be available for a short appearance at Villa Park.
Ibrahima Konaté is fit after being substituted during the second half of Liverpool's draw with Chelsea. The defender has returned to full training and is available for selection. There are still doubts over Alisson Becker and Florian Wirtz.
Alisson has resumed training after a lengthy absence, but Liverpool will make a late decision on whether he is ready to return. Wirtz has been suffering from a stomach infection and has been taking antibiotics, leaving his availability uncertain. Liverpool's longer-term absentees include Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitiké, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni.
Players to Watch
Ollie Watkins is the obvious player to watch for Aston Villa. His recent scoring form has arrived at exactly the right moment, while his record against Liverpool shows that he is comfortable facing the Reds. Six Premier League goals against Liverpool make them one of his favourite opponents.
John McGinn could also have an important influence. Villa's captain has been involved in five goals in his previous six appearances in all competitions, with two goals and three assists.
For Liverpool, all attention will be on Mohamed Salah if he comes off the bench. Salah has been directly involved in 14 goals across his previous 12 Premier League appearances against Villa, scoring nine and assisting five. He could also be making the final away appearance of his Liverpool career. Even with his minutes restricted, his ability to decide matches gives Liverpool an important option late in the game.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool Prediction and Favourites
This is a much closer contest than Liverpool's dominant recent head-to-head record might suggest. Liverpool have won seven of the last 10 league meetings and remain unbeaten against Villa since 2020. They also won the reverse fixture 2-0 and know victory on Friday would guarantee Champions League qualification.
However, there are several reasons for Villa to believe they can finally end that run. Liverpool have won only seven of 18 away league matches this season, while Villa have drawn each of their previous two home meetings with the Reds. Watkins is in excellent form, and the atmosphere at Villa Park should reflect the size of the opportunity in front of Emery's team.
Villa's concern is their workload. Their Europa League run has coincided with a drop in domestic form, and the final against Freiburg is only five days after this fixture. Liverpool have had considerably more time to focus exclusively on the Premier League.
Neither side is in particularly convincing league form, which makes it difficult to regard Liverpool as overwhelming favourites. The Reds have the stronger recent head-to-head record, but Villa Park and Liverpool's poor away campaign balance the matchup.
With Champions League qualification available to the winner and both teams possessing greater quality in attack than their recent defensive performances suggest, another open contest would not be surprising.