Dean Smith: Aston Villa must focus on Carabao Cup victory

Villa host the Reds in a Carabao Cup quarter-final which they are heavily favoured to win, with Smith admitting the pressure is all on his team.

Liverpool’s involvement in the Club World Cup means they are sending a squad of under-23 players to the Midlands, but Villa’s boss is eager to guard against complacency.

Victory would boost a Villa team who have lost their last three Premier League matches.

“Everyone will expect us to beat them, so there is a lot of pressure on ourselves,” said Smith.

“It is probably a free hit for a young Liverpool team. We have to make sure we are professional, as we have been in this competition so far and make sure we can get through to the latter stages.

“We are all disappointed. We have lost the last three matches, including the last home match against Leicester. We have to give the supporters something to shout about.”

Liverpool’s first-team, along with manager Jurgen Klopp, are currently in Qatar preparing for tomorrow’s semi-final with Mexican outfit Monterrey.

Under-23s boss Neil Critchley takes charge of their team at Villa Park tonight.

Smith said: “What team they play is down to them. It looks like they are going to play a youthful team because they are in the Club World Cup.

“I have spoken before about this club’s history in this competition.

“While we all know the importance of the Premier League to us, this is a big game. We need to turn up and make sure we put in a good performance.”