Liverpool's conclusive home fixture of the 2022/23 season is important for a host of reasons.
Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all departing at the end of their contracts, having all played roles in the club's success under Jurgen Klopp's reign.
The Reds also have a sterling opportunity to make it eight wins on the bounce, and must secure victory against high-flying Aston Villa if their decreasing chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League are to remain alive.
Newcastle United are four points ahead in third, while Manchester United perch a point above the Merseyside outfit having played a game fewer.
Villa, who have been resurgent under Unai Emery's tutelage this season, are vying for a European spot themselves next term and will certainly not roll over at Anfield, having won nine of their past 13 games in the Premier League.
In what may well be a game of fine margins, the Reds' German boss must unleash Diogo Jota, utilising the Portuguese forward's devastating cutting edge.
Why should Liverpool start Diogo Jota vs Aston Villa?
Jota has been a prolific figure on Merseyside since completing a £41m move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, having scored 21 goals last term and 13 during his maiden campaign in the north-west.
This year, he has been plagued by varying injuries and has missed 23 matches of competitive action, having reached April without breaking his seasonal duck; a recent purple patch has flicked the switch, and he has now plundered five goals and one assist from his past four starts in the top flight.
Against Villa, who are behind Tottenham Hotspur in a European spot only on goal difference having defeated them last week, Liverpool will certainly need to be robust and harness the newfound intensity that has complemented the upswing in results.
Jota will be imperative in this regard – Mohamed Salah is understandably the prominent name when it comes to goalscoring phenoms in Liverpool, having scored 186 times from 303 matches for his side, also with 30 strikes to his name this term, but placing a further "clinical" gem – as Jota was hailed by journalist Callum Vurley – into the starting fold will certainly not hamper the chances of success.
The £140k-per-week machine also ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for assists and the top 5% for aerials won, as per FBref, even being heralded as a "pressing monster" by Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders for his unrelenting output on the pitch.
Jota will indeed be vital in ensuring his side has an extra dimension in front of goal, channelling both his own striking proficiency and creative flair to ensure Liverpool maintain their pursuit of Champions League football next year.
