By Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield, capitalizing on Manchester City’s loss to Brighton to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League. Darwin Nunez scored in the first half, setting Liverpool on course for their 15th win in 17 matches across all competitions, while Mohamed Salah’s late goal sealed the victory amid a thrilling Anfield atmosphere.
Aston Villa, now eighth in the standings, faced their fourth consecutive defeat under Unai Emery. Despite an early chance for Jacob Ramsey and a strong appeal from Ollie Watkins for a penalty after a challenge from Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool’s fast-paced counter-attacks proved decisive. Virgil van Dijk initiated a break from a Villa corner, ultimately leading to Nunez’s goal after a tussle involving Salah and Leon Bailey.
The second half saw Villa continue to press for an equalizer, but Salah’s late goal crushed any hopes of a comeback. Liverpool manager Arne Slot noted that the victory, though not flawless, bolstered the team’s momentum in the title race, even as Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to leave the game with an injury before halftime. Slot expressed concern for Alexander-Arnold’s availability for England, saying it was “always serious when a player asks to come off.”
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery voiced frustration over a non-call by VAR, believing his team should have received a penalty for a shirt pull on Pau Torres. “With VAR, it was clearly a penalty,” Emery stated, highlighting a potential turning point in the match.
Liverpool head into the international break with renewed confidence, while Aston Villa will aim to reverse their form after a challenging run of results.
