Liverpool's stakes couldn't be greater. Speaking to Sky Sports immediately after his news conference, Gerrard made it clear that he had no space for emotion in his remarks. It's his responsibility to get the three points, he tells the crowd.

However, this result might have a big influence on the championship battle, as well as the host team's chances of winning. Gerrard joined Aston Villa in November, when the club was languishing in 16th place, only two points above the relegation zone. Liverpool's defeat would move them into the top half of the standings.

It would be a fitting finale to six months of steady development since Gerrard's hiring if Aston Villa ended their ten-year losing streak in the Premier League at Villa Park at the end of the season.

"I believe the major benefit is that the players are genuinely pleased and they have bought into our identity and our style," he says to Sky Sports.

"When it comes to games, I believe that our set-up has helped us win several times, and I believe we're getting the most out of many players.

"We still have a long way to go, but we're certain that we'll get there. During certain games, we've been a little erratic. However, I believe this is due more to isolated incidents or mistakes made by individuals than to the way we prepare or play." The players seem to be on board with the changes we're making, and we're becoming more at ease with each outing."Gerrard's arrival from Rangers to replace Dean Smith three months into the season has necessitated a flurry of activity both on and off the field.

Steven Gerrard says the squad has had to "manoeuvre the team away from danger and get into a good position in the standings, but alongside that we have examined all of the players, all of the players we have on loan, and some of the staff," he continues.

"Our facility has undergone significant changes, but this summer will allow us to take a breather, reflect, and regroup. In addition, the pre-season will provide us the opportunity to fully nail down our brand and style.

"It's difficult because you only have so much time on the training field when you're playing every six or seven days, but it's been helpful.

There are indications of improvement, and I'm happy with where we are.

Defense is where the improvements are most visible. Under Gerrard, Villa are streamlined and well-organized. There have only been four teams in the Premier League that have maintained more clean sheets or surrendered fewer goals since his hiring, while only three have faced fewer shots on goal or fared better in terms of anticipated goals against.

Only two of the 10 losses have been by a margin of more than one goal, which is more than Gerrard would have like. In his words, Villa are "a work in progress," but they've already become more tough to overcome.

According to Gerrard, "I believe it comes down to how we set up out of possession, the distances we have and our shape, but also a big effort from the players in terms of their application and dedication, because they're the ones who are going out there and executing it."

To acquire buy-in from the players when starting a new job, it's crucial to have their support, and these guys have placed their bodies on the line," says the coach.

For us, it's helping us defend better since they've adopted our form out of possession. "

They'll have to keep up the momentum if they want to beat Liverpool.

During Villa's 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in December, they only had 38% of the ball, and the quality of Liverpool's team means that they will have a similar percentage of the ball at Villa Park.

For Gerrard, who was so used to overpowering opponents both as a player for Liverpool and as a manager for Rangers, the new dynamic has taken some adjustment.

He smiles and replies, "It's different." You can still win football games like that," he continues. Many of Rangers' victories took place away from home in Europe, when we had less control of the ball.

"You have to be ready to counter-attack, play a transition game, or counter-press and steal the ball high up the pitch in certain situations," he said.

The ideal situation would be for everyone to desire the ball, and I believe that over time, and if we recruit well enough, we will increase our possession stats, as we do want to be a possession-based club that dominates the majority of games.