I'm slow to catch up sometimes. Sometimes I'm so far in the future, you lot are slow to catch up. I know this because this was commented on recently, but I've just looked at the fixtures remaining for February and we have four left. And it's February 19th!
We've got as many matches left to play this month as a lot of sides will play this month. And next month, we currently have three fixtures. Couldn't someone somewhere have said move this match with Liverpool. I'm sure Liverpool would have been up for it too.
But no, so we play. And you know what, if you're going to be competing, you've got to accept that there are going to be periods like this. And we take it and we move on. And when moving on, we've got to do better tonight than we did against Ipswich at the weekend.
And by do better, a better result would be the desired outcome, but just generally with the game. And I mean no disrespect to the quality of Ipswich, but we really should have won that match. And had we maybe started to Rashford and Asensio, we maybe would have. I think both will start tonight.
And this is just me. But Rashford has looked lively when coming on and I suspect he's ready to start, maybe not play the full 90. And Asensio just oozes quality and this is the type of fixture that this type of player will relish. Both of these players start for me tonight and if they do, it means a more attaching approach. But against Liverpool, if you don't try to win the game, you're not going to.
And as the optimist, I believe it's possible. In football, anything is possible in 90 minutes. And with that written, I'll be back later. It's a school day kids.
Match facts from the BBC
Head to head
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Aston Villa have not won any of their last eight league games against Liverpool, since a 7-2 home victory in October 2020 (D3, L5).
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The Reds have scored an average of three goals on their last four visits to Villa in all competitions.
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The last seven Premier League meetings between Aston Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park have produced a total of 33 goals at an average of 4.7 per game.
Aston Villa
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Aston Villa have lost one of their last seven Premier League matches, winning two and drawing four.
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Villa's only home league defeat this season was to Arsenal back in August - since then, they have gone 12 games unbeaten at Villa Park (W6, D6).
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They have kept just three clean sheets in 25 league matches this season.
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Unai Emery has won just one of his 12 meetings with Liverpool in all competitions (D4, L7). That victory came in the 2016 Europa League final when his Sevilla side beat the Reds 3-1.
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Villa have lost a player to injury in the first half of their last five matches in all competitions, and have used 10 different centre-back pairings this season.
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Ollie Watkins scored five goals in his first five league appearances against Liverpool but has failed to find the net in the subsequent four.
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Marcus Rashford scored five goals in eight home Premier League appearances against Liverpool for Manchester United.
Liverpool
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Liverpool are unbeaten in 21 league games since losing to Nottingham Forest in mid-September (W15, D6).
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The Reds are the only unbeaten away team in English league football this season (W9, D4).
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They are the third team to have a seven-point lead at this stage of a Premier League season after Manchester United in 1993-94 and Chelsea in 2014-15, both of whom went on to lift the title.
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Liverpool are the seventh team to have 60 points after 25 games; of the previous six, three went on to win the league.
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They have kept a division-high 10 clean sheets in the top flight in 2024-25, with six of those coming away from home.
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Arne Slot's team have scored in their last 21 matches, and in each of their last 15 away from home.
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Mohamed Salah has been involved in 23 away goals (14 goals and nine assists) in this season's top flight, a record for in a single Premier League season.