What channel is Aston Villa v Liverpool FA Cup match on? Kick off time and latest team news- 8 January 2021
Aston Villa host Liverpool in an all-Premier League FA Cup tie live on BT Sport this week.
Liverpool travel to face Aston Villa in the first of this weekend's FA Cup fixtures, with both sides eager to impress for entirely different reasons.
The Reds have stumbled in recent Premier League encounters, opening the door for rivals Manchester United to draw level.
They will see the clash against Villa as a chance to rest several key players while also hoping they can begin to rebuild momentum.
However, Villa are exceeding all expectations this term and with little threat of relegation, they can afford to deploy a stronger line-up in a bid to extend their hunt for their first trophy since 1996.
Boss Dean Smith will hope his squad can live out the ambition of every team entering the league in the last couple of seasons: establish in the top flight and enjoy a solid cup run.
RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch Aston Villa v Liverpool on TV and online.
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When is Aston Villa v Liverpool on TV?
Aston Villa v Liverpool will take place on Friday 8th January 2021.
Check out our FA Cup fixtures and live football on TV guides for the latest times and information.
What time is kick-off?
Aston Villa v Liverpool will kick off at 7:45pm.
The whole FA Cup third round takes place this weekend, including Marine v Tottenham in one of the most intriguing ties.
What TV channel is Aston Villa v Liverpool on?
The game will be shown live on BT Sport 1 from 7pm.
There are multiple ways to get BT Sport. If you already have BT Broadband, you can add BT TV and Sport to your existing contract from just £15 per month. You can add the ‘Big Sport’ package for £40 per month which includes all BT Sport and 11 Sky Sports channels via a NOW TV pass.
How to live stream Aston Villa v Liverpool online
You can watch the match with a BT Sport monthly pass without signing up to a contract.
Regular subscribers can also stream matches via the BT Sport website or BT Sport app on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Watch Aston Villa v Liverpool in the US
ESPN+ will be showing every FA Cup fixture live in the US, meaning fans across the pond can tune in for all the biggest games.
As the competition progresses, later rounds will also be shown live on ESPN+.
Aston Villa v Liverpool team news
Aston Villa: Long-term absentees Wesley and Trezeguet remain sidelined, though Ross Barkley is closing in on a return to fitness.
His comeback will inject Villa with fresh impetus following an energy-sapping Christmas period, but don't expect him to start this one.
Liverpool: Same old, same old – Liverpool are without centre-backs. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are all sidelined, meaning Fabinho and Nat Phillips are likely to line-up in defence.
Thiago is pushing for more game time after returning from injury, though Naby Keita and Diogo Jota remain injured.
Our prediction: Aston Villa v Liverpool
This could be a very close encounter if Liverpool do opt to rest their golden trio: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. For the greater good across the grand scheme of the season, they may need to.
That hands Villa a chance but, as proven at times in 2020/21, Liverpool's young guns and fringe players are ready to step up and fill the holes.
The likes of Curtis Jones will relish matches like this one, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is pushing to revitalise his career, Takumi Minamino has a point to prove, so does Thiago.
Our prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
For the full breakdown of what games are coming up check out our Premier League fixtures on TV guide.
If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
