Game Week 16 Predictions: Gerrard's homecoming heats up Anfield

Anfield is set to welcome back an illustrious son, how will Steven Gerrard's homecoming pan out at Anfield on Saturday? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Anfield

4:00pm

Liverpool are probably the best team in Europe as we speak, they became the first English side to win all of their champions league group games and have won all of their last five premier league games, that’s a team on a monstrous form.

Aston Villa have turned the corner since the appointment of former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, and with the Anfield Legend returning to the ground where he made his name, respect and emotions will fill the air but football must have its say.

Who would have thought Gerrard will ever return to Anfield as an opponent? After his successful career as a manager in Glasgow, Gerrard has returned to the premier league and having won three of his first four, his next opponent is the team right under his heart.

Liverpool on paper should not have problems dealing with Aston Villa, but the visitors destroyed Liverpool last season, scoring seven times and ruining the beautiful script of the then champions of England, that debacle will be very fresh in the minds of the Kops.

Liverpool limped past Wolves last time out, they needed a last minute goal from who else? Their super sub Divock Origi off a very neat Mohammed Salah pass, it was cruel on the hosts but it epitomized the stuff of champions in Liverpool.

Aston Villa left it late but they rallied well to beat Leicester City through an unlikely double from Ezri Konsa, the Frenchman scored twice in either half to hand Gerrard his third win in four games with the only loss coming against Manchester City.

How will Villa approach this? The entirety of the talks would be on the return of Gerrard to Anfield but they can’t be carried away, the fans will sing his name and the atmosphere will remind him of the good old days.

Villa on the pitch will try to avoid the mistakes they made at home to Leicester early on, they have to concentrate, challenge for every ball and make sure they’re on the end of the second balls, they must pay attention to Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson, they can’t lose sight of them.

Liverpool will respect Gerrard but they want to win, Jurgen Klopp has said it’s about result at the end of the day and they will concentrate, it will be fun to watch on Saturday.