Chris Sutton delivers his prediction for Premier League clash between Liverpool and Aston Villa

Former Chelsea attacker Chris Sutton has predicted a 3-1 win for Liverpool in their Premier League encounter against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday (May 20).

The Reds have launched a late charge to achieve a top-four spot at the end of the ongoing 2022-23 season. Since losing three back-to-back games earlier in March and April, they have been on a nine-match unbeaten streak.

Liverpool are currently in fifth spot with 65 points from 36 Premier League matches and are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United. Their top-four fate is not in their hands even if they win their next two games.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are currently in eighth place in the Premier League standings with 57 points from 36 matches. They have been on a fascinating run of form of late, registering nine victories in their last 13 games.

In his column for BBC, Sutton asserted that the Reds could make it eight wins out of eight against Villa. He wrote:

"This feels like the kind of game where Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could go and set his team up to frustrate Liverpool and carry a threat on the counter. I am certainly not discounting Villa here, but the Reds have such great momentum that I can't see them stumbling. They will attack Villa and they may even overwhelm them."

Sharing his thoughts on the Anfield outfit's top-four aspirations, Sutton continued:

"The Reds play bottom side Southampton in their final game of the season so I am expecting them to finish on 71 points – they will need Newcastle or Manchester United to slip up to let them sneak into the top four."

The Reds are overwhelming favorites against Unai Emery's outfit in terms of head-to-head record. They have won nine of their last 10 Premier League meetings, with the exception being a 7-2 loss at Villa Park in October 2020.

Liverpool keen to snap up Aston Villa midfielder this summer: Reports

According to GOAL, Liverpool have added Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey to their shopping list as they continue to look for a Jude Bellingham alternative. Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of the Englishman.

Ramsey, who has a contract at Villa Park until June 2027, could prove to be a fine addition to Liverpool's ranks due to his versatility and physicality. However, Aston Villa are unwilling to part ways with their academy graduate.

Should Ramsey join the Anfield outfit in the future, he would provide competition to Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones. The 21-year-old could also emerge as an emergency squad option for both the flanks.

So far this season, Ramsey has registered five goals and six assists in 36 overall matches for Aston Villa.