Boss excited by upcoming challenges
Brendan Rodgers is banking on Liverpool carrying on their confidence and momentum at Villa Park as they plot an onslaught on four competitions in four weeks.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last seven fixtures in all competitions and are determined to extend that streak against Paul Lambert's side. Aston Villa have only netted 11 goals in the Barclays Premier League this season, but as the 41-year-old pointed out, they have been incredibly hard to break down.
"They may not score a lot of goals, which has been highlighted, but they don't concede many either," Rodgers said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip.
"I think they're in the top five in the league for goals against. So it tells you everything, it will be a difficult game as it was earlier in the season when we conceded from a sloppy corner and then weren't able to get the breakthrough.
"But in my time here, we've gone there and played very well. It's a beautiful pitch, just fantastic, which suits our game.
"We know it will be tough for us but we're on a run of four wins away from home so we've got good confidence and momentum in the team. We'll go there positive that we can get a good result, but also respect that Paul's team will be difficult to beat."
The encounter is followed by hosting Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, before Bolton come to Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round. There's also the February 19 Europa League welcoming of Besiktas after after league clashes with West Ham, Everton and Tottenham to make it four competitions in a month for Liverpool.
The Reds boss invites the challenge of fighting on all fronts, especially as his charges have been aggressive in and out of possession again.
"It's a very exciting test. I've been very enthused by the team over the course of the last six or seven weeks," he said.
"We're starting to return to the flow of our game, increasing the speed and intensity of the game as well as getting results.
"We're defending stronger, which is good to see and we're now entering the business end of the season, where we'll be attacking every competition that we're in."