Follow Sportsmail's live coverage as Gerard Houllier makes his return to the touchline at Anfield when his Aston Villa side take on Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League. Villa are only two points off the bottom three but Liverpool also have one eye over their shoulder as they too languish in the bottom half of the table. Email me all your thoughts on the action at dan.ripley@dailymail.co.uk
Liverpool v Aston Villa (8pm)Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi, Babel, Ngog.Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Clark, Hogg, Downing, Ireland, Agbonlahor.Subs: Guzan, Pires, Carew, Delfouneso, Cuellar, Lichaj, Herd.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
19.38: Chris Hughton then, how will that affect Hodgson?
I can't think of a valid reason why Hughton was dismissed, but with a new board in at Anfield since Hodgson's appointment how will he be feeling?
After all Newcastle sit above Liverpool in the league and we don't know if these American owners are the trigger happy type yet.
19.35: Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier's first competitive return to his former club sees him make two changes to the team which lost to Birmingham in the Carling Cup last week.
Stephen Ireland and Marc Albrighton replace the suspended Ashley Young and injured Barry Bannan.
For Liverpool Ryan Babel, who impressed in Thursday's Europa League draw against Steaua Bucharest, takes the vacant striker's role alongside David Ngog with Sotirios Kyrgiakos coming into central defence as the only two changes to the side which lost at Tottenham eight days ago.
19.33: Full lineups from Anfield:
Liverpool v Aston VillaLiverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi, Babel, Ngog. Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly.Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Clark, Hogg, Downing, Ireland, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Pires, Carew, Delfouneso, Cuellar, Lichaj, Herd.Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
19.30: Hands up, who saw that coming? No, not Chris Hughton's sacking (more on that in a sec) but the fact Fernando Torres misses out tonight.
The Spanish striker will not feature at all as there is a new baby on the way this evening in the Torres household, with his wife going into labour today (Best wishes with that Fernando & co).
While that is good news for Villa it's terrible news for Roy Hodgson and Liverpool who are already without their other two big players Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.
If Aston Villa needed any inspiration to repeat their stunning victory here last season, it's all been laid out in front of them tonight. Full team news on the way.
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Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail