Hello everyone! It's another weekend of Premier League action, with eight games in total dominating the fixture list. Here, we are focusing on the goings on at Anfield as Liverpool take on Aston Villa. There's little excitement on this side of Merseyside following a dismal start to the season for the Reds. While Villa have struggled for form themselves, there is a sense of nerves from the home fans as this result could potentially be crucial in terms of their season and the fate of their manager.

All eyes will be on Brendan Rodgers this afternoon as his place at Anfield is under increasing pressure following four league games without a win. Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti have already been touted as potential candidates to take the reins, but we'll delve into that a little later. In the other dugout this afternoon, Tim Sherwood will try to get his Villa side back to winning ways as they have not come out victorious in the top flight since the opening weekend of the season in August. One draw and four defeats have hampered their start to the campaign, so they will be as desperate as Liverpool to pick up points this afternoon.

Right, before I ramble any further, let's bring you the team news from Anfield, starting with the hosts...

LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Clyne, Lucas, Milner, Moreno; Coutinho, Ings, Sturridge
Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Gomez, Lallana, Allen, Origi, Ibe

Rodgers has made five changes to the side that scraped past Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup in midweek. As expected, Simon Mignolet resumes his role as number one goalkeeper, replacing Adam Bogdan. Mamadou Sakho takes his place in defence after Dejan Lovren was injured on Wednesday. It was uncertain whether Rodgers would go for a back four or use three centre-backs, but it appears that Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno will operate as wing-backs, with Emre Can dropping to the back with Sakho and Martin Skrtel. James Milner keeps his place in midfield, while Lucas Leiva replaced Joe Allen.

Philippe Coutinho returns to the starting lineup, replacing injured Roberto Firmino, while Daniel Sturridge, who has only just recovered from a six-month spell on the sidelines gets the nod to start alongside Danny Ings, with Adam Lallana missing out. As we know, there is no Christian Benteke in the squad due to injury, while captain Jordan Henderson is recovering from foot surgery. After a bright start to his Liverpool career, Joe Gomez finds himself on the bench once again. Now, let's bring you the team news for the visitors...

ASTON VILLA XI: Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Amavi; Sanchez, Gueye; Westwood, Gestede, Grealish; Sinclair
Subs: Bunn, Clark, Bacuna, Veretout, Ayew, Traore, Gil

The big news for Villa is that Idrissa Gueye has returned to the starting XI after missing the team's last three games with a hamstring injury. The Senegal international flew to France in the week to see a specialist and is now declared fit enough to play. Overall, Tim Sherwood has made four changes to the side that beat Midlands rivals Birmingham in the Capital One Cup earlier this week. Leandro Bacuna, Jordan Veretout, Ciaran Clark and Gabriel Agbonlahor have all made way for Alan Hutton, Carlos Sanchez, Gueye and Jack Grealish.

With Brad Guzan in goal, Hutton has joined captain Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Jordan Amavi in the back, while Ashley Westwood, Scott Sinclair and Jack Grealish will play just ahead of Gueye and Sanchez. Rudy Gestede is Villa's additional goal threat this afternoon.

We all know that the major talking point ahead of this match is the future of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is in his fourth season as boss of the Merseyside outfit and is yet to taste success. The club were agonisingly close to claiming the Premier League title in the 2013-14 season, but they crumbled in the final few games following Steven Gerrard's infamous slip against Chelsea. From then on, it has pretty much been doom and gloom for the club as they have lost top talent, including Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and their skipper Gerrard, who now plies his trade in the US for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy. Added to that, striker Daniel Sturridge has missed large chunks of action due to various injuries.

This season, Liverpool narrowly claimed 1-0 victories in their opening games against Stoke City and Bournemouth, but since then they have failed to grab a win. The lack of goalscoring threat is a problem as they have only netted four goals in six top-flight games. Pressure on Rodgers was increased further when his team were taken to penalties by League Two outfit Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday at Anfield. With the game at 1-1 after extra time, a shootout was in order, and luckily for the hosts, goalkeeper Adam Bogdan was able to save three of Carlisle's five spot-kicks.

Reports this week have claimed that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will make a decision on whether or not to keep Rodgers depending on the results from the next three games. Included in that is this afternoon's match against Villa, next Thursday's Europa League game with FC Sion and the following weekend's Merseyside derby against Everton.

The pressure is on, but Rodgers seemed relatively relaxed when he spoke to the media in his weekly press conference at Melwood on Friday. As expected, reporters asked questions about his future, to which he replied: "There's always going to be speculation around your job. Since I've been here, there's probably been 10 managers linked with the job.

"I have regular contact with the owners and the relationship has always been strong. If I'm here for one more day, one month or one year, I'll always do my very best to get results. I enjoy the pressure of the challenge.

"My time here has been really enjoyable, and I hope it can continue to be that. I want to ensure I'm here for a long period. I'll do my best to prepare my players to play exciting, dynamic football, and win games."

Interestingly, there have been reports that FSG's board members are split down the middle when it comes to Rodgers's future. Some are keen to keep him on, while others are ready for a change at Anfield. The deciding factor could depend on the opinion of the supporters. From social media and radio phone-ins, it's becoming clear that more and more Liverpool fans are disillusioned with life under Rodgers. At the moment, Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti are being heavily linked with the position.

Klopp decided to take a sabbatical after leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season, but rumours that he could be on his way to Liverpool intensified when reports emerged stating that he would cut short his time off to take a Premier League job. The eccentric German seems to be a favourite among some Liverpool fans already as there is a Twitter campaign calling for supporters to dress up as Klopp by wearing baseball caps and glasses for today's game against Villa. Not sure that will be the moment that convinces the board though...

As just mentioned, Ancelotti is another rumoured target as the Italian is currently out of work after being sacked by Real Madrid in the summer. The attribute that Ancelotti has which stands him apart from what Liverpool have had for a long time is pedigree. The 56-year-old has won the Champions League with AC Milan and Madrid. He has also won league titles with Paris Saint-Germain at Chelsea. Ancelotti certainly has the experience and no-how, but the question is, would he be willing to join a club not in the Champions League? The five-time European champions have struggled to get themselves into the elite competition in recent years. They had their chance last season, but failed to get past the group phase.

As there is every summer, a lot of talk is dominated by the new signings made by clubs during the transfer window. Liverpool were busy again this year as they recruited James Milner, Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino, Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez, Nathaniel Clyne and Christian Benteke. In addition, Divock Origi arrived at the club after spending last season on loan at Lille. The question is, have any of these players had much of an impact? Well, Milner impressed in pre-season after being handed his favoured place in the middle of the park, but so far in competitive action, has not been as influential as some may have expected. Bogdan plays second fiddle to number one Simon Mignolet, while Firmino and Origi have failed to impress in these early stages of the season.

The shining light for Liverpool is that Gomez and Clyne have shown much-needed pace from the full-back areas, but with Gomez in particular, at just 18 years of age, there cannot be too much expectation placed on his young shoulders. Ings seems to be coming into his own after scoring twice in a week, and with Benteke expected to be sidelined for a fortnight, the former Burnley man has the chance to strike up a partnership with the returning Sturridge.

Let's not forget that injuries can contribute massively to the direction of a team's season. In this case, Liverpool have been hit with a growing injury list. The most recent casualties are Benteke, Firmino and defender Dejan Lovren. Added to that, their captain Jordan Henderson had to undergo surgery on a broken foot earlier this week and is not expected back for some time.

Liverpool currently reside 13th in the league table after two wins, two draws and two defeats, and they have only scored four goals in six games. It's not much better reading for Villa though, who are just one spot above the relegation zone following one win, one draw and four losses. Last season, Tim Sherwood was a hero as he guided the Midlands side away from relegation to the Championship. From then on, fans hoped that that they could set their targets higher than a relegation battle. However, with how results have been going, it seems as though Villa will be fighting at the bottom of the table once again.

Despite the club's current predicament, Sherwood was in a jovial mood in his pre-match press conference this week, and that could largely have been down to the fact that his side got one over Midlands rivals Birmingham City in the Capital One Cup. Rudy Gestede scored the only goal in the encounter at Villa Park to send his side through to the fourth round of the competition. That result boosted the side ahead of this weekend's game and considering the current form of Liverpool, Sherwood probably feels that his side can get something out of today's meeting.

Another boost for Villa is the return of midfielder Idrissa Gueye. The Senegalese player has been absent from the team's last three games due to injury, but after flying to France to see a specialist, Gueye has made a swift recovery and is involved in today's match.

When Sherwood confirmed the news, he told reporters: "Gana is training, he might be playing. The specialist got a magic wand out - Paul Daniels his name was.

"He has been a revelation since he's come in. He is one of the new guys who has been outstanding. I'm really calm about the situation, I won't panic. Idrissa has probably been the best purchase."

Idrissa was among 11 new signings, including Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew, Rudy Gestede, Jose Angel Crespo, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Adama Traore, Jordan Veretout, Tiago Ilori and Mark Bunn.

One player who Sherwood is certainly hoping will push Villa into the higher echelons of the Premier League is Jack Grealish. The 20-year-old made just as many headlines for his activity off the pitch as he did on it last season. The youngster, who is yet to decide whether he wants to represent England or the Republic of Ireland, was photographed on separate occasions allegedly passed out drunk and inhaling legal high nitrous oxide. This season though, Grealish has been impressive on the field and Sherwood has slapped a massive £60m price tag on the player.

This week the Villa coach told The Mirror: "I wouldn't want to sell Jack Grealish for £60m today, put it that way. I know what he could possibly be. What looks expensive this year might not be expensive next year. That's the way the game is going.

"He's a great player is Jack, but he's got to realise, I've been on at him every day, there is more to the game than just when you're in possession."

There's plenty to discuss about both teams individually, but what about their head-to-head record? Well, last season, Villa managed to defeat Liverpool in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley, but scorers Benteke and Fabian Delph are no longer at the club. In terms of the league, in the last five meetings between the pair, Villa have taken just one triumph, but they are unbeaten in their last four visits to Anfield.

PREDICTION: Neither of these sides are heading into this game in great form, but Liverpool may be slightly more desperate to get a result as the outcome could result in a change of management. Goals have been hard to come by for the Reds, with just four overall in the league so far. Villa have struck seven times in the top flight this season, but it's arguable that the Reds offer more quality going forward. It will be a tight game, but we think that Liverpool will just edge it 1-1.

Both sets of teams are emerging onto the pitch and we'll soon hear Liverpool's anthem of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Can either team turn their seasons around this afternoon? We'll soon find out!

KICKOFF! Liverpool get us underway in their traditional red strip. Jonathan Moss is the referee for today's encounter.

Wow, what a start for Liverpool! It couldn't have gone better for Brendan Rodgers as James Milner opens the scoring at Anfield inside two minutes. Coutinho plays a role as he spins away from his marker and plays the ball forward for Milner, who surges into the final third and drives the ball into the bottom corner.

Well, that's certainly delighted the home fans. Liverpool have their tails up after taking an early lead. Villa are shell-shocked, but they'll need to regain composure in order to prevent conceding another.

Milner is involved again as he picks up the ball from Sturridge. The midfielder drives past Sanchez and lifts a cross into the box, but Guzan protects his back post and grabs the ball from the air. Villa have a chance to cause trouble as Gestede gets a head to the ball, but his effort at goal falls just wide of the target.

SAVE! Liverpool come close to doubling their lead as Can passes to Ings, who delivers a low shot at goal from the edge of the penalty area, but Guzan is able to stop the effort from hitting the back of the net.

Sinclair shows his pace and strength as he manages to get away from Can on the left-hand side of the pitch. The Villa man sends in a powerful shot at goal, but it's comfortable for Mignolet as he makes the save.

That could have been a costly mistake from Sinclair! Can hits the ball long into the box and as it bounces, Sinclair is unable to control it and it bounces over him to find Moreno, but the danger is thwarted when the Spaniard's cross falls into the hands of Guzan.

Milner charges down the right-hand side after receiving the ball from Clyne. The Liverpool man gets to the byline and wins a corner, which is taken by Moreno, and as Richards clears, he sends the ball straight to Skrtel. Eventually though, Villa clear.

Liverpool launch another wave of attack as Coutinho gets passed Hutton, but he chooses against fizzing the ball across the feet of goal and it eventually goes out for a corner. From the set piece, the ball gets pulled back to Sturridge, but Gestede clears.

It's all Liverpool at the moment as they search for a second goal. Sturridge gets the ball in the penalty area and with his back to goal, knocks it to Milner, who moves towards the byline, but it's good defending from Lescott as the ball trickles out for a goal kick.

Liverpool are on the frontfoot again with Ings, Sturridge and Milner involved. At the moment, every time Villa clear the ball it goes straight to the feet of a Liverpool defender and allows the home side to launch another attack. In this instant, Coutinho moves to the edge of the penalty area and tries to curl one into the top corner, but it misses the target and flies into the stands.

CHANCE! Gestede has a great opportunity to draw level for Villa! It's a big mistake from Can as he tries to hook the ball away for a clearance, but his effort ends up setting up Gestede perfectly. The unmarked Villa man unleashes a shot, but the falls wide of the post and clatters into the advertising hoardings.

There's been hardly any pressing high up the pitch from Villa. At the moment, they seem happy to soak up the pressure from their hosts. However, being a goal down gives them a major disadvantage in this early stage. Liverpool are also being given plenty of time and space to knock the ball around midfield.

Liverpool get another corner and this time Milner delivers the ball into the box, but Guzan is able to get through the huddle of players in front of him to punch the ball clear. It falls to Moreno, put Sinclair does well to put pressure on the Spaniard, who is forced to play it back to Mignolet.

The crowd shout for a handball as Clyne's strike bounces off Lescott and out for a corner, but nothing is given and it was the correct decision as replays show that the ball came off the defender's chest.

A good pass from Coutinho finds Ings in Villa's half, but play is stopped as Ings is penalised for pulling on Hutton's shirt.

The referee has words with Milner after he slams into Grealish, but the Liverpool man is in a bit of bother himself as Amavi comes close to catching him with a high boot.

A long ball from Can finds Moreno on the left. The Spaniard cuts inside and plays it back to Coutinho, who takes a touch and then tries to curl the ball into the net. It's a high effort, but Guzan gets a touch on the ball to push it over the crossbar. Liverpool get two successive corners - the second of which is played short to Countinho from Milner, but the ball into the box is cleared by Villa.

Coutinho gives the ball away, but Lucas is able to win it back to thwart a counter attack from the visitors. Coutinho then sends the ball in the hope of playing in Sturridge, but it's too long and it bobbles past the byline. Sturridge shakes his head as he was expecting a better ball from his teammate.

CHANCE! Hutton latches onto a loose ball and sends the ball into the box. Mignolet does just enough to punch the ball, but the danger is far from over as Westwood attempts a low drive Skrtel ends up blocking the shot and sends the ball out for a corner, which comes to nothing.

Liverpool's defensive frailties come to light as Skrtel drops off from a loose ball, which allows Sinclair to latch on and launch a shot at goal, but it's not his best effort as it goes straight into Mignolet. It seems as though there was a lack of communication between the Liverpool defenders as Skrtel may have thought that Sakho was going to come for the ball.

In Villa's half, Sanchez and Milner come together as they both jump for the ball. In the process, Sanchez huts his head and goes down to ground. After receiving some treatment, it appears as though the Villa man is okay to continue.

James Milner's second-minute goal is the difference between the two sides as Liverpool head into the half-time interval with a slender lead. It was the perfect start for a team whose manager Brendan Rodgers is under big pressure to deliver. From that point on, Liverpool took control of proceedings, with Villa seemingly content to soak up the pressure.

As the half went on, Villa pressed higher up the pitch and had chances to score - the best of which came to Gestede, who basically had a free shot at goal when Can's clearance fell straight into his path. Later on in the game, Hutton's whipped in ball was punched away by Mignolet, but not by far as Westwood's attempted a shot from just outside the penalty area went wide.

Moreno has had plenty of space to roam down the left-hand side and his crosses into the box have caused trouble. In the second half, Liverpool are likely to come out on the frontfoot in an attempt to kill off the game. The longer it remains 1-0, nerves will set in for the hosts. There were glimpses of encouragement for Villa in the opening 45 minutes, but they need to press Liverpool more and cause more of an attacking threat.

Earlier today, Tottenham Hotspur shook up the title race by claiming a 4-1 victory over Manchester City. There are seven other games in action today, with six of them having got underway at 3pm. Below are the half-time scorelines from elsewhere in the Premier League:

Leicester City 1-2 Arsenal
Manchester United 1-0 Sunderland
Southampton 1-0 Swansea City
Stoke City 1-0 Bournemouth
West Ham United 1-1 Norwich City

RESTART! Villa get us underway for the second half. No substitutes were made from either side in the break.

Villa seem to have the same shape as they drop back with Liverpool on the ball. If it continues in this manner, Sherwood is likely to make changes to shake things up.

CHANCE! Coutinho comes close to putting Liverpool two goals to the good. Grealish loses the ball on the edge of the penalty area from a challenge by Milner. Clyne then sends a cross into the area, which Coutinho picks up, but the Brazilian's close-range shot is blocked by Richards.

Grealish tries to make amends for losing the ball earlier by surging through the middle of the park, but Sakho is able to put in a well-timed sliding tackle. The ball is picked up by Hutton, who sends the ball to Sinclair, but the Villa man's header goes wide.

CLOSE! Sturridge knocks the ball down to Milner, who unleashes a left-footed shot at goal. Guzman punches the ball away, but it falls to Clyne. Amavi is able to recover for his team as he blocks Clyne's effort.

Liverpool are awarded a free kick in a decent area. Coutinho steps up and curls a low effort around the wall, but Guzan is there to grab the ball.

Coutinho is involved again as he sends a brilliant pass towards Ings, but Lescott does well to divert the ball away with a header towards Guzman. Great defending!

Liverpool get the second goal that they've been searching for! It's Daniel Sturridge who doubles the home side's lead and he does it in fantastic fashion. Milner manages to chest the ball down and while under pressure from Gueye, he plays the ball over the top to Sturridge, who hits it first time to slot the ball home.

VILLA SUB: The visitors make their first change of the game as Sanchez makes way for Veretout. It's a tactical change as Sherwood searches for more attacking options.

Villa are under siege at the moment as Liverpool launch wave and wave of attack. Gueye is almost left red faced as he gives away the ball on the edge of the area to Coutinho. The Brazilian tries to force his way through Villa shirts, but he's unable to do so.

Sturridge comes close to grabbing another goal as he controls the ball before taking a shot. The Liverpool striker is under pressure from Lescott and he fails to get power behind the ball as his effort falls into Guzman's arms.

Wow! Two goals inside a minute at Anfield! Villa looked to be back in the game when a terrific low cross from Hutton on the byline finds Gestede unmarked at the far post. He knocks the ball into the back of the net, but Liverpool immediately respond at the other end. Sturridge finds himself with the ball on the corner of the box. He plays a lovely one-two with Coutinho in the penalty area before driving the ball low into the bottom corner. It doesn't seem as though it's taking long for Sturridge to get back to his best!

VILLA SUB: Young Grealish makes way for Traore as Villa make their second change of the game.

It's raining goals at Anfield! Is the fightback back on for Villa?! Gestede gets a second goal for the hosts with 20 minutes of normal time remaining. Amavi finds space down the left-hand side and delivers a perfect cross into the box. Gestede towards over Skrtel and smashes a header into the back of the net. Mignolet had no chance. Game on!

SAVE! Just when we thought we had some time to breathe! Liverpool get a free kick just outside of the box. Milner and Coutinho stand over the ball, but it's the Brazilian who takes it. He whips the ball over the wall and its heading for the top left corner, but Guzan gets fingertips to push it behind for a corner, which Milner takes, but the referee blows up for a Villa free kick.

Villa look to be on the break as Clyne loses possession in his own half, but Lucas does well to grab the ball and cross into the box. Ings collects and lays it off for Coutinho, who aims again for the top left corner, but he misses the target.

At the other end, Veretout sends a great delivery into the box from a free kick. He finds the head of Richards, but the skipper's effort dips over the crossbar.

Traore tries to find the equaliser as he charges passed Moreno down the right, but Sakho does a well-timed tackle to halt the Villa man's run. We have 10 minutes of normal time remaining and Villa are showing signs that they're not quite done yet.

Sturridge receives the ball on the edge of the area and spots Ings's run into the box, but his pass towards his teammate is too far and Guzan is able to gather the ball.

CHANCE! Ings comes close to extending Liverpool's lead as Sturridge plays in his strike partner, but the forward's shot is blocked by Westwood and the chance goes begging.

CLOSE! Sturridge is inches away from completing a hat-trick. It's a lovely flick from Ings to play in the Liverpool striker, who drives low towards the corner, but Guzan does brilliantly to get a hand to it.

Villa have had their chances, but Liverpool look comfortable on the ball as they try to retain possession and run down the clock.

Gestede is looking for a hat-trick himself as Amavi picks out his man in the middle of the park. Gestede tries to sort out his feet, but Coutinho manages to nick the ball from him and win back possession for the hosts. The fourth official indicates that there will be four minutes of added time.

Clyne opts against taking the ball into the corner to run down the clock, and instead whips the ball into the box trying to help Sturridge get a hat-trick, but Lescott is able to clear.

LIVERPOOL SUB: There will be no hat-trick for Sturridge as he is taken off to a round of applause from the home fans. Allen comes on to replace the striker.

The referee blows his whistle and there will be a sigh of relief at Anfield as the team secure a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa. The pressure if lifted slightly off the shoulders of manager Brendan Rodgers thanks to goals from James Milner and Daniel Sturridge. Rudy Gestede cut down the deficit twice with two goals of his own, but it was not enough to cause an upset. Liverpool end their run of four Premier League games without a win, while Villa record their fifth defeat of the season.

That's all from us this afternoon, but stick around on Sports Mole for all of today's match reports, reaction, analysis and player ratings. Until next time, goodbye!