Liverpool v Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Reds return to the top of the table
Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Nunez and Salah strike for the Reds to take them five points clear at the top
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool continued Arne Slot’s dream start to his tenure with a confident 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night.
The Reds dominated early on, eventually capitalising as Mo Salah ran clear on the counter and Darwin Nunez collected the ball to fire past Emi Martinez.
Both sides had chances in the rest of the first half, with Villa forcing two great saves from Kelleher, though the first half ended with the home side ahead.
The second half was a far less eventful affair, with Liverpool dominating possesion but both sides finding it difficult to carve out clear-cut chances.
As Villa chased an equaliser, Salah chased a clearance and came off better, with the ball defelcting into his path to take him one-v-one by the halfway line. The Egyptian raced to the Villa box and calmly lifted a chip over Martinez to finish the match and take Liverpool back to the summit of the Premier League.
Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:
HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
It’s been a good half for the neutral, with Liverpool ahead thanks to a great counter, but the away side have had their chances too!
We’re in for a good second half an Anfield.
HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
49 mins
HALF-TIME!
CLOSE! Liverpool mount another lightning-quick counter down the left wing, with Robertson slipping it on to Diaz, who sees his cross blocked, and that’s the last action of the half.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
47 mins
John McGinn replaces Ramsey and the game restarts, with Tielemans quickly receiving a booking for dragging down Jones.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
44 mins
From the corner, Gravenberch shanks over a speculative half-volley, but Liverpool have it back moments later. There’ll be three minutes of added time here.
Jacob Ramsey is down and he looks like he’ll have to come off – looks like a hamstring issue for the youngster.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
42 mins
Liverpool are just trying to calm the game down a bit now as we head towards half-time, with the hosts happy to play it around their half. They do win a corner as they get forward though.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
40 mins
Diaz’s squared pass is just behind and the Liverpool attack breaks down, but Konate recovers back near the Liverpool area.
The hosts come forward and Nunez fires a low shot straight at Martinez.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
38 mins
Rogers wins a corner after forcing Robertson to block the cross. It’s swung in and Onana rises high to fire a header goalwards, but Kelleher produces a great save!
From the subsequent corner, Digne crosses it in and it’s glanced on by Carlos, and Kelleher is forced into another great save, with Gravenberch doing brilliantly to prevent the clean strike from the rebound.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
35 mins
Rogers is booked for sliding in late on van Dijk.
Villa try and form an attack but they’re forced backwards once more, before Rogers tries to slip through a lovely ball to Ramsey, but the latter is forced off it by Bradley.
Moments later, Digne fizzes in a great ball that is missed by Watkins.
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa
32 mins
CLOSE! The good and the bad of Darwin Nunez summed up so far today! The ball is cleared to Salah in a central area and there’s the entire half to run into as he threads a ball into Nunez’s path. The striker is one-on-one again and surges towards goal and opens up his body to place it, but he fires over!
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