Blog: Villa encounter can be a catalyst
In a guest blog, Liverpool fan and writer George Buckle outlines why a victory over Aston Villa at Anfield today could be the beginning of a change in fortunes for the Reds.
After what has been a mixed start to the season, getting back to winning ways at Anfield is now more important than ever for Liverpool.
Aston Villa are the visitors to Merseyside this afternoon and this could provide a good opportunity to get a victory on the board and start building some momentum for the rest of the season.
Winning teams usually keep winning and the all-important confidence that any side needs to be successful stems from there. Anfield needs to be a fortress where visitors know they will be in for a rough ride.
Villa are struggling badly for form at the moment and haven't won in the Barclays Premier League since the opening day of the season. That in itself should give Liverpool an immediate lift.
The fact that Daniel Sturridge is fit once more and back in the team cannot be understated either. The England striker was able to start against Norwich City and his very presence in the dressing room offers a big boost to the team after he spent all that time hard at work on his rehabilitation.
At the very least he's a fine example, especially for younger members of the squad, of the desire each and every player must have to pull on the shirt. But his ability on the pitch will begin to make a huge difference now, too.
Luis Suarez often gets most of the credit for the excellent 2013-14 campaign, but Sturridge was a huge part of that as well. He scored 21 Premier League goals and was simply electrifying throughout. Even when he was struggling for fitness last season, Sturridge was still able to show his class, perhaps most notably with a lethal finish against Manchester United at Anfield.
Having Sturridge back in the side will do the team no end of good. He has the pace and quick feet to worry any defender and his natural striker's instinct is not something that can be easily taught.
Despite coming away from the Norwich game with just a point, it was very clear that the pieces were starting to fall into place. The level of performance was there and the side was starting to create good chances. With Sturridge now edging closer and closer to full match sharpness with each minute he's on the pitch, that can only be positive and soon those chances will become goals.
Another big plus is that Danny Ings also seems to have found his feet after his summer move from Burnley. Ings scored his first goal for the club against Norwich last weekend and added a second in as many games when he found the net against Carlisle United as well.
He also converted what proved to be the winning penalty in the shootout against the Cumbrians and will carry plenty of confidence over into the Villa game as a result of his excellent recent contributions.
Obviously, the next league game after Villa is the first Merseyside derby of the season and a short trip across Stanley Park to Goodison. If we can get a solid win today, it will give the squad so much more confidence going into the Everton clash and a good performance in that kind of high-pressure environment is exactly the kind of thing that can be a catalyst for so much more.
It all starts here with Villa.
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