Aston Villa V Liverpool Barclays Premier League Match 24 -August 2013. Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark is available to face Liverpool, having overcome the head injury that forced his substitution at Chelsea in midweek.Chris Herd is fit after a calf problem but Nathan Baker remains a doubt with a twisted ankle.Watch Aston Villa V Liverpool Live, Watch Aston Villa V Liverpool Live Stream, Watch Aston Villa V Liverpool Free Live Stream, Watch Aston Villa V Liverpool Online, Watch Aston Villa V Liverpool Online Free, Aston Villa V Liverpool Live, Aston Villa V Liverpool live stream Online.
Liverpool could give a debut to left-back Aly Cissokho, who has signed on a season-long loan from Valencia.
Sebastian Coates faces a long lay-off with a knee injury, and Luis Suarez continues to serve his 10-match ban.
MATCH PREVIEW
We're barely a week into the new season and already Paul Lambert's persuasive powers in getting Christian Benteke to stay at Aston Villa have reaped major dividends, with the player scoring three goals in two tough away games at Arsenal and Chelsea.
How important is the Belgian international? Well, he's found the net 17 times in the league in 2013, three more times than any other Premier League player. Even more impressively, in Europe's top five league's, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more than Benteke since the turn of the year.
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Image of Mark Lawrenson Mark Lawrenson Football analyst
"There is a bit of a feel-good factor around Liverpool at the moment - firstly because it looks like Luis Suarez is staying. Even the way they beat Stoke last week, thanks to Simon Mignolet's last-gasp penalty save, helped on that score."
Read Lawro's full prediction and score
That's why Villa's most important signing of the summer was a player already at the club, even though they look an all-round improved unit.
Liverpool could have done with someone like Benteke on the end of some of their play against Stoke last weekend, by all accounts. I didn't see the game live as I was at Carrow Road, but even before watching the highlights it sounded like 'deja vu all over again', as Yogi Berra famously once said.
Liverpool attempted more shots on goal than any other Premier League team last weekend (20) - as they did last season - but for a late penalty save by new keeper Simon Mignolet would have been held to a draw at Anfield.
Still, three points is a good start and it's what they've often left Villa Park with in recent seasons. This is a fixture Liverpool fans have come to look forward to over the past 15 years in particular, with nine wins and only one defeat in that time. Last season's match came in March and resulted in a 2-1 win for Liverpool, who haven't lost a league game since.
It hasn't just been Liverpool who've caused problems at Villa Park. Villa have won only half a dozen of their last 32 home league matches and that will have to change if they're to build on the promise shown in their opening two fixtures this season.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Aston Villa have only won one of their last 15 home games against Liverpool in the Premier League (W1, D5, L9) since 1998. The home side have mustered only seven goals in that time and last scored more than once in a 4-2 defeat in November 1998.
Aston Villa
They have only won six of their last 32 league matches at Villa Park, earning just 28 points.
It's a club record 24 matches since Paul Lambert's side last kept a Premier League clean sheet (at home to Stoke City in December 2012).
Villa have conceded a goal in each of their last 11 league matches at Villa Park.
Christian Benteke has scored an unrivalled 17 Premier League goals in 2013.
Liverpool
Liverpool are vying to win their opening two Premier League games for the first time in five years.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last nine league games - a run that started with a 2-1 victory at Villa last March (W5, D4). They have kept six clean sheets during that spell.
They attempted more shots at goal than any other side on the opening weekend (20), to follow up their league-high tally of 528 shots in 2012-13.
Daniel Sturridge has scored seven goals in his last six Premier League appearances.
Steven Gerrard has scored more Premier League goals against Aston Villa than against any other side (11),