Premier League preview: Aston Villa v Liverpool

Liverpool will look to keep their push for European football next season going strong when they visit Aston Villa on Sunday.

With 15 games behind them in 2011/12, Kenny Dalglish’s side are in sixth place in the English Premier League on 26 points – three behind Arsenal who are in the automatic Europa League place, but 12 behind leaders Manchester City.

They have lost just three games so far in the league, but their Achilles heel has been too many draws – five of them in total – with four of those coming at Anfield against Manchester United, Norwich, Swansea and Manchester City.

They finally broke that run of dropped points at home by posting a 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, with Uruguayan international Luis Suarez scoring the only goal of the game.

Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa, meanwhile, are in ninth place in the league standings, seven points behind Liverpool.

The Midlands club made a solid start to the season, with two wins and five draws from their first seven matches.

But after their 4-1 loss to Manchester City on October 15, their first defeat of the season, things have not been so rosy at Villa Park.

They have lost two of their past four matches, although the defeats came against quality sides in Tottenham and Manchester United.

McLeish’s men did bounce back in their most recent game, however, by scoring a 2-1 win away from home against bottom side Bolton.

McLeish has some selection headaches ahead of the fixture, with striker Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended for the match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Bolton.

Winger Jermaine Jenas, who Villa had secured on loan from Spurs, is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in their 1-0 loss to Manchester United on December 3, and goalkeeper Shay Given is nursing a hamstring injury likely to keep him out until the New Year.

For Dalgish, Jay Spearing will serve the second-match of a three-game suspension for being sent off against Fulham, while Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva is out for the rest of the season after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Captain Steven Gerrard is back in training after overcoming an ankle infection, and his hoping to be back in action before the end of the year.