Aston Villa will head to Merseyside this afternoon for their penultimate Premier League clash with Liverpool and Unai Emery will be hoping his team can take some important points from the outing.
The Villans are in the chase for a spot in European football next season and are currently eighth in the league table, matching points with Tottenham Hotspur, so taking a result away from Anfield will be crucial to stay in contention.
There is no denying that Emery has done a phenomenal job since making the move to Villa Park last October, and the Spanish manager could now achieve something that was completely unthinkable just six months ago by leading the club to European football for the first time since 2010.
Indeed, it will be no easy task for the Villans when they step out against Jurgen Klopp's side today as the Reds are trying to do everything in their power to keep themselves in the conversation for Champions League football.
Therefore, Emery could look to make some tactical tweaks to stump their opponents and ensure that they can stay in the game as long as possible – and Emiliano Buendia could be the player who doesn't quite make the cut as a result.
Will Emery drop Buendia vs Liverpool?
The return of Boubacar Kamara has been highly anticipated for the Midlands club after suffering an ankle injury that put an abrupt stop to his excellent partnership with Douglas Luiz in midfield.
However, the clash with Liverpool could be the perfect opportunity for the Frenchman to reprise his role to bolster the huge presence needed in the centre of the pitch alongside Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn, a setup that could see Emery sacrifice an attacking player.
Ollie Watkins is likely to remain the focal point in the centre-forward position as his 11 goals scored since the turn of the year have been integral to Villa's rapid climb up the league table, whilst retaining Leon Bailey in the final third would be advantageous in counter-attacking opportunities due to his undeniable pace.
This means that the most likely solution would be to drop Buendia from the starting XI and instead utilise him as an impact substitute should the game not be going in Villa's way during the second half.
The talented £75k-per-week winger – dubbed a "little warrior" by former manager Steven Gerrard – has been involved in every single league game this season so far. However, with Liverpool on an incredible nine-game unbeaten run and fully focused on taking all three points in their last home fixture, a more defensive approach may be wise for Villa.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Emery sets up his team against their relentless opponents this afternoon as it could be the difference in securing a spot in Europe next season.