Aston Villa vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Stefan Bajcetic wraps up win
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put Liverpool in control but the Reds needed Bajcetic’s strike to seal the win after Ollie Watkins pulled one back
Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Monday thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic to go sixth in the Premier League during a game littered with chances.
Striker Salah tapped in the visitors’ opener in the fifth minute after a sublime passing move from marauding wing-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Defender van Dijk bagged Liverpool’s second in the 37th minute with a superb left-footed shot after being set up by Salah, who would have been proud of the finish.
Ollie Watkins put Villa back in the game with a smart 59th minute header across goalkeeper Alisson Becker, before 18-year-old midfielder Bajcetic squeezed in Liverpool’s third - his first senior goal - to secure the win in the 81st minute.
Goalscoring opportunities came aplenty for both teams as they peppered each other with high balls over the defences. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez was a nuisance throughout, missing a string of chances including a well-saved volley after he plucked the ball from high over his shoulder.
The result left Aston Villa in 12th place on 18 points, while Liverpool are on 25 points, one behind old rivals Manchester United in fifth but a daunting 12 behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who were playing later on Monday.
Penalty to Arsenal!
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
45+3 mins: Gabriel Martinelli cuts the ball inside from the left wing and picks out Martin Odegaard on the edge of the box. He shoots and drills the ball at Aaron Cresswell.
His hands are up next to his head and the referee thinks he’s stopped the shot with his arm and points to the spot.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
45 mins: Three minutes of added time to play before the end of the first half.
Arsenal win a free kick that is whipped into the box by Martin Odegaard. Eddie Nketiah leaps above Michail Antonio to flick the ball onto the back post but Declan Rice steps ahead of William Saliba and marshalls the ball out of play.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
42 mins: Odegaard fins Martinelli on the left wing who has a go at goal but it denied by the steadfast Craig Dawson. The loose ball comes out to Nketiah who attempts to weave into the penalty area but eventually gets tackled.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
39 mins: A quick free kick from West Ham inside their own box gets chipped up to Michail Antonio who spins away from William Saliba to collect the ball.
He drives it to the box then hooks a shot wide of the near post.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
36 mins: Chance! Bukayo Saka evades a tackle from Aaron Cresswell and sends the ball inside. Odegaard and Partey combine before giving the ball to Nketiah on the left side of the box.
The forward rolls the ball onto his right foot and shoots but Craig Dawson gets the block in and Fabianski pounces on the loose ball.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
33 mins: There’s a bit of bite to West Ham now that they’re in front. Bukayo Saka is a little slack in getting back to help out the defence which allows Aaron Cresswell to get forward on the overlap.
He’s given the ball by Said Benrahma before flicking one into the box. Aaron Ramsdale thinks he can get there but gets shoved by Michail Antonio and wins Arsenal a free kick.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
30 mins: That goal is just West Ham’s fourth away goal of the season and it’s a big one. They now have something to hold onto although it’s too early for the Hammers to go into their shell.
Arsenal are behind and will need to fight back if they want to get something out of this game.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 West Ham (Benrahma, 27’)⚽️
27 mins: Said Benrahma bangs his penalty straight down the middle and West Ham take the lead against the run of play!
That goal could have big ramifications on the table if Arsenal fail to respond.
Penalty to West Ham!
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
24 mins: Craig Dawson flicks the ball down the right side of the pitch and gets the ball up to Michail Antonio. He spins away from William Saliba and slides the ball inside to Jarrod Bowen.
Bowen dribbles into the box and is clipped by the lunging Saliba which throws him off his stride. Bowen goes down and the referee points to the spot.
VAR is taking a look though.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
23 mins: Chance! Ramsdale throws the ball up to Granit Xhaka who shifts it up the pitch and sends Eddie Nketiah sprinting in behind.
The striker carries the ball to the edge of the box and shoots but Thilo Kehrer is back in time to leap in front of the effort and get the block in.
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