Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool head to Birmingham for the penultimate match of the Jürgen Klopp era.

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ASTON VILLA VS. LIVERPOOL

| Monday, May 13th |
Premier League | Villa Park
8PM GMT/3PM EST

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The 2023-24 season is, for all intents and purposes, over for Liverpool Football Club. They will finish third and with a League Cup title to show for Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge at Anfield. Even if they win out, they now cannot catch Manchester City and Arsenal ahead of them. Meanwhile, fourth-place Aston Villa cannot close the gap on them.

All that’s left to play for, then, is pride. Pride and the chance to send Klopp on his way with another win or two; another good performance or two. Two more games for the fans to sing his name, which the travelling Kop surely will do for much of Monday night’s game under the lights at Birmingham’s Villa Park before the Reds return home and prepare for the season finale against Wolverhampton next Sunday.

The game may not really matter, then, not for the club or players or fans, and certainly not from the perspective of the Premier League table. But it’s a chance to say goodbye before the final chance to say goodbye. To Klopp and the season, too, to a side that did far more for far longer than anyone really expected them to before April arrived and the bottom dropped out. There are 180 minutes, plus or minus a little stoppage time, left to play out in the Jürgen Klopp era. After Monday, there will be 90 minutes left. Try to enjoy it for whatever it is while you still can.

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Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Núñez, Díaz

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For Villa, on the other hand, Monday’s game could end up being massively important to their chances of finishing fourth and earning a place in next season’s Champions League—though regardless the outcome, they’re likely to remain favourites at the very least. Villa are currently four points up on fifth-place Tottenham and a win either against Liverpool would wrap things up for them mathematically.

Realistically, though, with challengers Spurs set to take on Manchester City on Tuesday in their own penultimate game of the 2023-24 Premier League season, Villa’s current four-point buffer seems likely to be enough and they could well head into the final week with Champions League football secured even if they lose to Liverpool tomorrow night.

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What the Managers Had to Say

Unai Emery: “We are motivated and excited. We have to try to finish the season and it will be an amazing, amazing season if we get to our objective [and finish top four].”

Jürgen Klopp: “To be honest, who gives a...”

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The Officials

Referee: Simon Hooper Assistants: Adrian Holmes & Tim Wood Fourth official: Tim Robinson VAR: Chris Kavanagh Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes

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