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Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today

Follow all the action as Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield

Michael Jones
Saturday 11 December 2021 12:01 EST
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'Gerrard will definitely manage Liverpool' Klopp on Stevie's return to Anfield

There was no happy homecoming for Steven Gerrard, no “celebrating like a crazy devil,” no narratives feeding into future ambitions. The man he termed “100 per cent the best player in the world now” saw to that, firing in a low, hard penalty to further Liverpool’s title fight.

Mohamed Salah’s direct goal contribution ticked over to 14 consecutive league games, his 67th-minute winner deflating an Aston Villa side that departed without a shot on target.

The task was not to make it easy for Liverpool, but Gerrard’s men didn’t figure it would be this hard to conjure threat of their own.

The scoreline belied a story of enterprise versus total obstruction, with substitute Diogo Jota missing a glorious chance late on to make that more clear.

Sentimentality the enemy for Steven Gerrard as Liverpool legend returns to Anfield

The question hadn’t reached its tail end yet but in the absence of hesitation, Steven Gerrard interrupted with the answer.

“Hiding my emotions at times,” he offered, citing his primary personal challenge in the early months of transitioning from player to manager at Liverpool’s academy.

In four years, that initial poser has evolved into a proud strength. He has mastered the art of using his fervour to electrify and gain full buy-in from his players.

Sentimentality the enemy as Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield

The Aston Villa manager returns to Anfield on Saturday as an opponent for the first time knowing sentimentality is the enemy of his ambitions

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:40

Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Head-to-head

Liverpool have won six of the last seven Premier League meetings between the teams, scoring at least twice in all seven matches.

Aston Villa have lost their last three league games at Anfield, most recently due to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stoppage-time goal in April.

Last season there were 17 goals in the three encounters between the sides with Aston Villa winning a memorable game at Villa Park 7-2.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:37

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

Reaction to come from the Etihad Stadium but the focus moves to Anfield where Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa are taking on Liverpool. Here’s a reminder of the line-ups:

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago; Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Nakamba, Luiz; J Ramsey, Watkins, A Young

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:34

Full-time: Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

90+4 mins: Manchester City win courtesy of Raheem Sterling’s penalty kick. It was just one of many strange incidents during the game and Wolves will feel hard done by. Manchester City dominated throughout and it’s hard to argue that they didn’t deserve to win but on the other hand Wolves probably didn’t deserve to lose.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:29

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

90+2 mins: Chances! Wolves almost earn an equaliser with a driving run down the left side. The cross is whipped deep into the box and Kilman arrives to fire a header at goal. It’s sneaking under the crossbar but Ederson manages to tip the ball over the goal.

Wolves’s corner is then swung into the box and Kilman gets there again but this time fires his header wide of the back post!

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:26

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

90 mins: Four minutes of added time to play at the end of this game. Joao Cancelo gets forward on the overlap and slides the ball to Sterling. He pulls it back into the middle of the box where Foden hits a first time shot from the edge of the six-yard only to be denied by a body block from Max Kilman!

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:25

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

88 mins: Save! De Bruyne swings a pass out to Zinchenko on the left wing. He dinks the ball into the box and picks out Foden who brings the ball down and takes a left-footed shot on the turn. He strikes it well but Jose Sa gets two hands to the effort and parries it away for Wolves.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:22

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

86 mins: Bruno Lage hasn’t given this match up yet. Daniel Podence comes on to replace Leander Dendoncker for the final few minutes. Wolves just need one chance to steal a point from this one but Manchester City are managing the game well.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:19

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

83 mins: Francisco Trincao comes on for Wolves replacing Ruben Neves. Hwang Hee-Chan receives the ball and dribbles it up the pitch before drawing Joao Cancelo into a foul but the Wolves free kick comes to nothing for the visitors.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:16

Man City 1 - 0 Wolves

81 mins: Save! Zinchenko carries the ball down the left side for City and passes it into De Bruyne. He threads a pass into the left side of the box where Jesus runs onto it and drives a shot towards the near post. Sa has the post covered and sticks out a right hand to palm the ball behind for a corner.

Michael Jones11 December 2021 14:14

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