Emiliano Martínez is eager for Aston Villa to record a statement win when title challengers Liverpool visit B6 on Tuesday night.
The Villans have put together a three-game unbeaten run and are full of confidence after dispatching Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor on Saturday.
But after finding results against the top Premier League sides hard to come by this season, Martínez is hoping Villa can show what they’re capable of.
He said: “We beat them last season, it was a close game at Anfield this season and I don’t want us to have the regret of respecting Liverpool too much.
“They have to respect us as well – Villa Park is not an easy ground to play at. We have to go for the three points.”
Martínez added: “We need a big win, and it would be a big, big win to beat one of the best teams in Europe right now.
“After this season, where we’ve had a couple of four or five-game losing streaks, we deserve a big win, and hopefully it can be tomorrow night.”
The goalkeeper looked set for a 12th clean sheet of the campaign – and third in a row – last time out before Maxwel Cornet bagged an injury time consolation.
A solid defensive platform has provided the base for Villa to get back to winning ways, and the Argentine knows it must be maintained if the club are to finish in the top half of the table.
“We look solid and the back four gives everything for a clean sheet. Going forward we look dangerous as well,” Martínez said.
“In the season, sometimes we’ve been good attacking and sometimes we’ve been good defending, so we need to find that balance where we’re good in all departments.
“We want to finish in the top ten. Villa haven’t finished in the top ten for the last 11 years, so it’s something that really motivates us. We really want it.
“People say we’ve got nothing to play for when actually we’ve got a lot to play for.”
