VILLA V LIVERPOOL: STAT ATTACK

Here are all the important pre-match stats and facts ahead of our trip to Aston Villa.

Overall Record (League): Liverpool 78 wins, Aston Villa 51 wins, 37 Draws. At Villa Park: Liverpool 26 wins, Aston Villa 37 wins, 20 Draws. Last season, Liverpool won 2-1 at Villa Park on the opening day. Martin Laursen's own goal gave Liverpool a first half lead. Gareth Barry equalised from the penalty spot five minutes from time but there was still time for Steven Gerrard's free kick to win all three points. In the return at Anfield the sides drew 2-2 gave Liverpool the lead before Marlon Harewood Yossi Benayoun and Fabio Aurelio(o.g.), within the space of three minutes, gave the visitors the lead. Peter Crouch equalised with two minutes to go. Since the inception of the Premier League, Liverpool have won 17, Villa eight with seven draws. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 League visits to Villa Park. Their last defeat here came in February 1998 when, despite Michael Owen scoring an early penalty, they lost 2-1 with ex-Red Stan Collymore scoring twice. That is the last time Villa scored more than once against the Reds at Villa Park. Liverpool have lost only one of the last 19 meetings with Villa in all competitions। That defeat was in September 2001 when the Midlanders won 3-1 at Anfield. Since then Villa have failed to win any of the last 14 meetings (13 in the league). Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin and Ryan Babel made their Liverpool debuts here last August. Martin Skrtel made his Liverpool debut against Villa at Anfield last January Liverpool's biggest ever win at Villa Park came in January 1925 when they won 4-1. They have won 3-0 on four occasions since - all since March 1966. Seven years later they suffered their heaviest loss when they were beaten 6-1. They have also lost 5-0 four times. The last Liverpool player to score a hat-trick against Villa was Michael Owen who hit three first half goals in the 3-1 win at Anfield in September 2000. Only two Liverpool players have scored a League hat-trick at Villa Park - Ian Rush in January 1984 and Robbie Fowler in November 1998. Two others have achieved the feat at Anfield - Bobby Graham (1964) and Owen in 2000. The last Villa player to score a hat-trick against the Reds was George Brown in January 1932 when he scored four in his side's 6-1 win Jamie Carragher's first goal for Liverpool was scored against Villa at Anfield in January 1997 It came just 10 days short of his 19th birthday. This is Liverpool's favourite away ground in the Premier League. They have won seven of the 16 contests. The Reds have scored 21 Premier League goals on this ground. That is their second best tally - one behind St James Park. Liverpool have won more Premier League points against Aston Villa (58) than against any other team. Liverpool are one of only two clubs in the Premier League (Chelsea being the other), and seven in all four divisions to have a 100 per cent record in league games so far this season. Should Liverpool record a victory in this game it will be the first time since 1994-95 that they have won the opening three games of a league campaign. The Reds are unbeaten in their last nine league games since losing to Manchester United in March and have been beaten in just two of the last 24 Premier League meetings. Liverpool have yet to play in a game this season that has seen a goal scored before the 70th minute. They have not scored a first half goal in any of their last eight games. The last was a 43rd minute strike from Dirk Kuyt against Chelsea in the Champions League at Anfield back in April. The Reds have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three away games in all competitions. Liverpool's next goal will be the 400th scored under Rafa Benitez. This is Aston Villa's 98th season of top-flight football. They are one of six founder members of the Football League competing in the top-flight this season. The others are Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion. Villa have scored just five goals in their last nine home games against Liverpool with only three coming in the last eight. Last season Villa finished 6th - their highest position in four years. As a result they are playing European football for the first time in seven years. Liverpool were one of six teams to win at Villa Park last season in the Premiership. Manchester United and Arsenal also won though Chelsea lost. Gabriel Agbonlahor became the first player in 11 years to score a hat-trick on the opening day of the season when he netted three in Villa's 4-2 home win over Manchester City. Another former Villa player, Dion Dublin, was the last prior to him. Last season Villa scored 71 league goals. Only Manchester United (80) and Arsenal (74) scored more. Current league standings: Liverpool: Pld 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 Goals For 3 Against 1 Pts 6। Position: 2nd. Aston Villa: Pld 2 W 1 D 0 L 1 Goals For 6 Against 5 Pts 3. Position: 7th. Leading scorers (League in brackets): Liverpool: Carragher 1 (1), Gerrard 1 (1), Kuyt 1 (0), Torres 1 (1). Villa: Agbonlahor 4 (3), Carew 3 (2), Laursen 3 (1), Young 2 (0), Barry 1 (0), Gardner 1 (0). Villa's last six League games: 23/8/08. Stoke 3 Villa 2 (Carew, Laursen) 17/8/08. Villa 4 (Agbonlahor 3, Carew) Manchester City 2. 11/5/08. West Ham 2 Villa 2 (Young, Barry). 3/5/08. Villa 0 Wigan 2. 27/4/08. Everton 2 Villa 2 (Agbonlahor, Carew). 20/4/08. Villa 5 (Young 2, Carew 2, Agbonlahor) Birmingham City 1.