Liverpool travel to Villa Park for Saturday's clash with Aston Villa seeking to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

The Villans have made an encouraging start on their return to the top flight, after coming through the play-offs to end a three-season absence.

Dean Smith's men have picked up eight of their 11 points at home and head into this clash off the back of a 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.

So, what can we expect from the hosts at Villa Park this weekend? We caught up with writer and Villa fan Kevin Hughes (@KevHughesie) to find out...

How are the team measuring up to your expectations for the season?

As I expected, at this point. A year ago, even the most optimistic Villa fan couldn't have realistically expected us to be in the Premier League this season, and heading into the last quarter of the Championship campaign in 2018-19, we were miles off the pace until we won 10 games on the spin, got into the play-offs and won at Wembley. We did brilliantly to achieve that, and we've had to move quickly in a short period of time to get ready for the Premier League - the other two promoted clubs, Norwich and Sheffield United, were streets ahead of us in terms of consistency last season.

It might sound unambitious, but our first target this season has got to be to stay in the league; that's our main focus. With 11 points from 10 matches, we're on track for that, and I think we've been getting stronger in recent weeks - we looked a bit naive in some of the opening fixtures. The only frustration has been that we could easily be a few places higher in the league. We let Arsenal off the hook at the Emirates and lost a game we should have won, dropped two points after leading twice at home to Burnley, had a late equaliser controversially disallowed at Crystal Palace. Genuine missed opportunities, but had we taken those we'd be in the top six now.

The pleasing aspect has been that Villa have been in winning positions in a lot of games, and legitimately competed in them, not just sat back passively and hoped to nick a point here and there. We don't look out of our depth at all.

Describe Villa's playing style under Dean Smith...

Very progressive and positive. Smith has Villa playing on the front foot. He's the type of coach who likes to see his team play in the opposition's half as much as possible, with fast attacking transitions; we'll pass the ball around, but quickly, and with purpose.

Villa tend to start fast, and if we score, we'll look to score another rather than retreat and sit back. In some of the early games Villa were perhaps a bit too open for the Premier League but Smith has tinkered with the formation slightly to tighten things up without affecting our attacking play - only five clubs have scored more goals than us so far (the top four and Tottenham Hotspur).

How was the summer transfer business?

Busy! A lot was made of how many new players Villa brought in, and how much the club spent - but it was all necessary. Villa had a lot of ageing players who were out of contract in the summer, plus a handful of loan players they didn't own. I think we lost around 12 players in total, so we had half a squad to find. Collectively, Villa spent a lot but per player it was relatively modest, and the club didn't really have a choice - we need to compete this season. 

There was no panic. The recruitment was structured, with a lot of business completed early. Three of those we signed were on loan last season - Tyrone Mings, Anwar El Ghazi and Kortney Hause. Smith had worked with two others before, at Brentford - Jota and Ezri Konsa - and tried to sign Bjorn Engels when he was at Brentford, too. Also, most of the new signings are in the early to mid-20s age bracket, so there should be sell-on value there.

Some of the summer signings have been instant hits, and all of them look to have something of value to offer. The only regret I have is a failure to add another striker. I think we had targets but perhaps ran out of time or budget, and we do look a bit light in this area. There's a lot of pressure on Wesley's shoulders and few options if the big striker struggles. I'd expect Villa to invest in a striker/goalscoring winger in January. 

Is Jack Grealish still the star of the team?

Yes - he's the most talked about player at Villa and the most gifted player in the squad. I've watched him for years - I watched him play for Notts County when he was on loan as a teenager and he was superb even then - and he really is a very special talent. Hand on heart, I think he's one of the most naturally gifted English players I've ever seen. He gets a lot of flak from opposition supporters but if you watch him for 90 minutes, it's clear how good he is, and it's been great to see him getting praise in recent weeks.

To be fair, he probably shares star player status at Villa with John McGinn, his midfield partner. McGinn is loved by Villa fans and rightly so. There's nothing subtle about his style - he's a rampaging, box-to-box midfielder who seems to bounce through tackles, have endless drive and energy, and an irrepressible appetite for running. He's superb at breaking into the box, beyond the striker, and he can score goals, too, including from distance.

Really, Grealish and McGinn are Villa's big players.

Who has surprised you most with their performances this season?

I'd have to say Marvelous Nakamba. Villa were linked with him for most of the summer, signed him relatively late on from Club Brugge, and he wasn't included in the matchday squad for the first few fixtures while he worked on his fitness. I knew next to nothing about him and thought he might be a useful squad player, but once he broke into the team, he hasn't been shifted. He's a defensive midfielder but very mobile, agile and tenacious, and is pretty good technically; he can spot a pass. He's been a real bonus. 

Beside him, Bjorn Engels has been a quiet revelation. Villa signed him for around £7m, from Stade de Reims in Ligue 1, and he's been every bit as good as Tyrone Mings; an understated, very accomplished centre-back who's started the season really well.

Villa have a good record at home, how's confidence heading into the match?

Confidence is high, I'd say. Recent form has been good; Villa beat Norwich and Brighton before losing to City last Saturday, but defeating Wolves 2-1 in the League Cup in midweek was a good way to quickly recover from that. Yes, Wolves fielded an understrength side but so did Villa - the first-choice back five were all rested.

There's a good feeling around the club right now, and Saturday is another sell-out at Villa Park. Generally, home form has been good; we lost to Bournemouth in August thanks to two silly mistakes in the first 15 minutes but other than that, we've beaten Everton and Brighton, and drawn with West Ham and Burnley. Of course, Liverpool will be the strongest opponents we've faced at home by some way.

What is Villa's biggest strength?

Our midfield. Grealish and McGinn usually provide our best moments in terms of creativity and goals, and I'd expect these two to pose the biggest threat to Liverpool - if Grealish is fit. Conor Hourihane also offers a goal threat from midfield - from set-pieces and open play - though he's not always a guaranteed starter. I hope he plays. I think our best chance of getting something from the game is through our midfield play.

How do you expect Villa to line up on Saturday?

Most of the team is easy to predict - the big question is whether Grealish is fit after a minor calf injury against City. Barring any late surprises, the back five will be Tom Heaton in goal with Frederic Guilbert at right-back, Engels and Mings at centre-back and Matt Targett at left-back.

Nakamba and McGinn will be in midfield, with Douglas Luiz and Conor Hourihane fighting for the third spot unless Grealish is ruled out. If Grealish is fit, I'd go with Hourihane over Luiz because he gives Villa more offensively. It's a tough call, though. 

Wesley will be centre-forward, and then it's a choice between Trezeguet and El Ghazi as a second striker/attacking winger. Trezeguet has shown some neat touches this season and clearly has something, but I'd choose El Ghazi. He has quiet spells but makes more impact, and his direct running could unsettle Liverpool. 

Finally, your score prediction...

I have to be realistic. For me, Liverpool have been the best team in the Premier League over the last 12 months and I fully expect them to win the title. I hope Villa can give them a few scares and I think we'll score, but this Liverpool side seem to just relentlessly drive on and the pressure they put opposition teams under is immense. They've forgotten how to lose, I think. I'll reluctantly go Villa 1-3 Liverpool.

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