Liverpool will hope to end their losing run when they face Aston Villa on Saturday.
Villa have a shocking record at Anfield, so could prove to be the perfect opponent for the struggling Premier League champions.
Arne Slot’s side have lost their last five domestic games, and now Liverpool will play host to Villa in a return to Premier League action.
The Villans have been on a positive run by comparison, with Unai Emery being nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month for October.
Emery could be set to change his approach on Merseyside as questions continue to be asked of Alexander Isak in red.
Alexander Isak set to miss Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Isak was absent when Villa faced Newcastle United on the opening day of the season, as his move to L4 was still pending.
The Sweden international was the target of hugely negative chants from the away fans at Villa Park, but ultimately secured his move to Anfield.
Things haven’t gone well for the Premier League record signing as he is yet to score a single league goal for Liverpool since his £125 million.
That record looks hugely unlikely to change against the Villans after Slot confirmed on 31 October that he is set to miss out.
He said: “Isak and Curtis Jones will 99 per cent be out of the squad this weekend.”
Although this may be seen as a boost to Villa’s chances in L4, it could actually prove to be a curse rather than a blessing in claret and blue.
Isak absence could hamper Aston Villa
The 26-year-old was electric at Newcastle, but has failed to transmit his vast skillset since lining up in red.
His lack of a pre-season has damaged his performances, and that lack of sharpness could have benefited Villa if he had started on Saturday.
Isak’s shoddy showing against Manchester United last time out on Merseyside is a perfect example of why Emery would have wanted to face him.
He featured across 72 minutes and was able to get two shots away, but one flew wide and the other was saved despite having an expected goal value of 0.27.
This saw Isak miss one big chance with his 50 per cent shot accuracy, while also taking just 21 per cent of his touches inside the Man United penalty area.
The lack of impact on show from the Swede could have been bread and butter for the likes of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres, should he have started against them.
Hugo Ekitike is likely to replace the record-signing, and his six goals and one assist in 13 Liverpool games will force Emery to change his ways to deal with a completely different threat.
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