- Aston Villa host Liverpool at Villa Park tonight for an 20:00 kick-off UK time
- The referee for the fixture is Chris Kavanagh
- A win will secure Champions League qualification for next season
Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park this evening for a huge Premier League battle. Both teams are level on points, with a win for either side confirming their place in the Champions League next season.
There are only two league games to go, and for Villa, a Europa League final takes place before their last fixture of the campaign against Manchester City. With that in mind, they will want to claim all three points tonight to take the pressure off that final match, and to carry momentum into their European showdown with Freiburg.
Last Sunday, Unai Emery’s side was disappointing in their 2-2 draw with relegated Burnley. Mistakes and sloppy passing were the cause of the goals they conceded, and ultimately, they lacked energy in the final third.
Tonight, however, should bring out a much better Villa. Under the lights at Villa Park, off the back of an incredible atmosphere in the Europa League semi-final second leg, the energy from the supporters will be there.
Facing them is a Liverpool team who have had a very inconsistent season. On Saturday, they drew 1-1 with Chelsea, before losing 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford the weekend prior. They’ve struggled to string together a run of wins since the beginning of the year and have had frequent injuries to their forward line, hampering their form.
In the reverse fixture between the two sides, the Reds came out on top, winning 2-0 at Anfield. It was a game where Villa didn’t lack chances, but failed to take them, and in the end, errors cost them dearly.
Let’s take a look at the match officials for Aston Villa vs Liverpool.
Who is the referee for Aston Villa vs Liverpool?
Chris Kavanagh has been appointed referee for Aston Villa vs Liverpool. He has officiated two times for Villa this season, once in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup.
The first came in November at Villa Park, in Villa’s 1-0 win over Wolves. Boubacar Kamara scored a rocket with his left foot, just on the edge of the box, earning them their fifth victory in a row.
Kavanagh then refereed the 3-1 defeat to Newcastle in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Marco Bizot was sent off in the first half, making it too difficult for Villa to hold onto their one-goal lead.
Chris Kavanagh record against Aston Villa
| Matches | Villa wins | Draws | Villa defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Chris Kavanagh record against Liverpool
| Matches | Liverpool wins | Draws | Liverpool defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 19 | 5 | 7 |
Who are the assistant referees and VAR?
Kavanagh’s assistants will be Dan Cook and Lee Betts, with Andy Madley as fourth official.
At Stockley Park, Neil Davies will be on VAR duty, alongside Paul Howard as his assistant.
