Aston Villa and Liverpool. Two clubs that call themselves great but refuse to even sneak a quick glance over recent history.
Villa, rightly so, will throw that ’96 League Cup success down the throats of their doubters whilst Liverpool will harp on about some form of European triumph last decade as if they ever had a player like Savo Milosevic.
They lock horns on Sunday, at Wembley, success-starved, a place in the mighty FA Cup final at stake – at least it becomes mighty for the teams remaining in it (everyone will watch Arsenal and Reading instead of United-Chelsea today, right?).
And whilst both teams are in pretty decent form – relatively – leaving out ‘Pool’s losses to two of the most in-form sides in Europe and Villa’s understandable slip-ups against Swansea and QPR and Newcastle and Stoke, there can be only one emerging from Sunday’s tie in London.
The big question is how on earth do you stop a man like Christian Benteke? The simple answer is you don’t. Despite winning just one of his five games against Liverpool, the Belgian has banged in four goals for Villa against Brendan Rodgers. ‘Pool mightn’t stop him but there are plenty of other places they can hurt Villa.
And they start with four defenders and a man named Tom Cleverley.
Lazar Markovic v Kieran Richardson
Villa fans the world over will be praying Richardson doesn’t make the lineup but, as the semi final draws closer, it looks increasingly likely. The alleged left back has been a weak link of a weak defence in the last couple of weeks. Opposing wide men are just waltzing past him, sometimes straight through him as Matt Phillips demonstrated for QPR, and if Markovic starts well at Wembley, he’ll have a field day.
Alberto Moreno v Leandro Bacuna
The battle of the GAA corner back who refuses to sit still. Neither of these guys want to defend and it’s a good job too because neither of them are particularly good at it. Instead, they’ll take turns at bombing down the same flank, probably into the wide open space left behind by each of them. Both can do damage going forward and both will oblige in letting the other take turns in attacking.
Joe Allen v Tom Cleverley
Let’s dispel a myth: Tom Cleverley is not vastly improved under Tim Sherwood. Yes, he is slightly less abysmal than he was but he is still a spare part slipping loose in a ragged piece of machinery. He still refuses to try anything – probably for the best – and he’s still constantly given the curly finger from the sidelines. He will play no part in this battle, he’s a pacifist at war. It’s basically up to Allen how much he wants to go and affect the game because he will be given free rein to do so.
Raheem Sterling v Nathan Baker
Jesus.
Jordan Henderson v Fabian Delph
Two of the country’s most improved players in the last couple of years, reflected in the pair being accommodated on the same England side. They’ll line out almost face-to-face on Sunday and Hendo will have to be wary of Delph’s agility, the Villa midfielder so central to the start of almost every attack, taking on midfielders and opening the game up. He can get caught out going gung-ho forward though and, with no Carlos Sanchez sitting behind him for this tie, the Liverpool skipper – can we just call him that now? – can take advantage by breaking at the other side.
Emre Can v Gabby Agbonlahor
Agbonlahor isn’t a lot of things. He isn’t a good passer, he isn’t a particularly good dribbler and he is not a good finisher. But, God, he’s fast. For all his weaknesses, he is still one of Villa’s main men and his pace and strength are damn effective. Liverpool will be pre-occupied by Benteke and understandably so but neglect Gabby at your peril. They say the best players need just half an inch and, whilst Agbonlahor might need half a pitch to really make a difference, if he’s given one glimpse of it he will hurt Rodgers’ side. Can could struggle trying to track him.
Christian Benteke v irrelevant
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