Liverpool will try to put FA Cup disappointment behind them when they travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom in the Premier League.
Brendan Rodgers' side are in desperate need of points as they look to close the gap on Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification and, with just six games left, nothing but victory will do.
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Liverpool, who will be buoyed by the news of Jordan Henderson's new contract at Anfield, find themselves seven points adrift of fourth with a game in hand but face a stern test against Tony Pulis' West Brom.
Pulis has never tasted defeat in a Premier League home match against Liverpool and he will be hoping that run can continue when the Reds visit the Hawthorns.
West Brom took a significant step towards Premier League safety last week with their impressive win over in-form Crystal Palace and they will be eager to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans after two straight defeats to QPR and Leicester.
Team news
Andre Wisdom is ineligible to play parent club Liverpool. The defender is sidelined along with Youssouf Mulumbu who serves the final game of his three-match ban while Ben Foster remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury.
Craig Dawson is fit, though, despite limping off against Crystal Palace with a dead leg and the defender looks set to keep his starting place.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge will miss his third successive match as he has still not recovered from a hip injury.
Defender Mamadou Sakho (thigh) and midfielder Lucas Leiva (thigh) are also ruled out of the trip but winger Jordon Ibe returns having been ineligible for last weekend's FA Cup semi-final.
Midfielder Adam Lallana (groin) and long-time absentee Jon Flanagan (knee) have returned to training but both are doubtful.
Opta facts
After failing to score in their first nine Premier League meetings with Liverpool, West Brom have scored in seven of their last eight.
Rodgers won both PL meetings with the Baggies as Swansea manager but has only won two in five as Liverpool boss (D1 L2).
Pulis has never lost a Premier League home game against Liverpool (W3 D3).
Steven Gerrard would become the 12th player in Premier League history to make 500 PL appearances, should he play this match.
If only goals from English players counted, Liverpool would top the Premier League table on 65 points.
The Hawthorns has seen 11 goals scored in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season; more than at any other Premier League ground.
Merson's prediction
Where do you start with Liverpool? They lost the FA Cup semi-final last week. Man Utd beat them the other week. But I am going to go for Liverpool here as this game might play into their hands.
They’ll have a go at West Brom and West Brom like teams sitting back so they can counter attack them. The Baggies won’t have to take the game to Liverpool as the away side will do that, and anyway I reckon Liverpool will be on a backlash.
But fourth place? Not really. I see Man City winning as well this weekend. The games are running out.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 15/2)
Betting
Rodgers is expected to deliver a result for Liverpool, who are even-money favourites (1/1) to take all three points off West Brom. The Baggies are 13/5 for back-to-back wins, though a draw is considered slightly more likely at 12/5.
Indeed, a 1-1 final score is the likeliest outcome in Sky Bet’s ‘correct score’ market, though Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has tipped up a 2-2 draw at 12/1. Nicholas’ Soccer Saturday colleague Merson has gone for Raheem Sterling to score first in a 2-1 win for Liverpool at 33/1.
Manchester City will look to continue to draw home comfort from a disappointing season with a victory over FA Cup finalists Aston Villa when the sides meet on Saturday - live on Sky.
With City 12 points adrift of leaders Chelsea, their focus now is on ensuring they qualify for next season's Champions League with a top-four finish by holding off the challenge of Liverpool in fifth and sixth-placed Tottenham, who they play on Sunday week.
The defending champions have struggled to regain last season's form and focus which saw them win the Premier League for the second time in three years.
But despite that, Manuel Pellegrini's side has been beaten just twice in the league at Eastlands this season and have won their last four home games - scoring 12 goals and conceding none.
Tim Sherwood, who was on the wrong end of a 5-1 defeat by City last season when he was Tottenham manager, will take his Villa side to Manchester on a high after their 2-1 FA Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool last weekend.
Villa's new-found confidence will serve them well even though they are currently just four points above the relegation zone.
Team news
City playmaker David Silva is available to face Villa after being given the all-clear following a facial injury.
Striker Wilfried Bony (foot) and midfielder James Milner (knee) are also fit again but midfielder Samir Nasri has joined the casualty list with a groin problem.
Captain Vincent Kompany (groin) remains on the sidelines for at least another fortnight while defender Gael Clichy and striker Stevan Jovetic are also out.
Gabby Agbonlahor could return for Villa after missing their FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool with a hamstring injury.
The forward will be assessed but Philippe Senderos (thigh) and Aly Cissokho (groin) are available while Jack Grealish is in the squad despite a picture, taken last year, of him inhaling nitrous oxide emerging this week.
Ciaran Clark and Nathan Baker (both knee) are unlikely to play again this season while Alan Hutton is progressing after an ankle injury but will not make the trip. Scott Sinclair is ineligible against his parent club.
Opta Stats
Manchester City have won more Premier League games (20) and scored more goals (65) v Aston Villa than against any other team
Aston Villa have scored just six second-half goals all term; the Premier League record-low for a season is 11, last set by Derby in 2007/08.
Indeed, had only second-halves counted, the Villans would be bottom of the table on just 20 points, eight points behind 19th place QPR.
Yaya Toure has scored in his last three Premier League appearances against Aston Villa.
Aston Villa have scored the same number of league goals under Tim Sherwood this season (12 in eight games) as they managed under Paul Lambert (12 in 25 games).
Christian Benteke has scored nine goals in nine competitive games under Tim Sherwood.
The average age of Manchester City's starting line-up this season has been 28 years 331 days; the oldest in the Premier League.
Merson's prediction
Man City need to win and I think they will against Villa, 2-1.
The quicker they get this fourth place the more they can relax because if they don’t get fourth I don’t know what would happen. It’d be a nightmare for them.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)
Betting
Manchester City are just 1/4 with Sky Bet for the victory on Saturday Night Football, with Aston Villa 11/1 to cause an upset and 9/2 to leave the Etihad Stadium with a point. Both sides will be looking to put an end to their respective lingering fears, with City currently 10/1 to finish outside of the top four while Villa are the same price for relegation. Sergio Aguero is the clear favourite in the first goalscorer market at 11/4 while Christian Benteke is rated the visitors’ main source of a goal at 11/4 to find the net anytime.
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