Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Reds secure vital win and breathing room for Arne Slot
Near the end, a long pass managed to find its way to Ollie Watkins and as he aimed and completely miscued a one-time strike, there were jeers from the Liverpool crowd at Anfield. They were thoroughly enjoying this. Soon the champions were knocking the ball about with gusto, confidence seemingly restored.
Having learnt that Arne Slot’s side struggle to deal with long balls, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery decided the best course of action was to not use long balls. Villa tried to play short and through the press. That worked last week against Manchester City and fair play to the manager for maintaining his own style of play, but if Slot could have offered some suggestions to his counterpart, he could not have asked him to set up too differently than he did.
The times when Villa played through Liverpool’s press they struggled to connect with their front line. Watkins was isolated up top. But passing out from the back was always a grenade threatening to blow up in their faces and it did just before the break, with Salah on hand to apply the right amount of salt to their wounds.
Emery loaded the gun and handed it to his opponents but the home side’s setup and tactical approach also deserves some credit. Arne Slot appeared to have recognised some of his previous mistakes and rectified them. He restored Andy Robertson to the side in place of the embattled Milos Kerkez, and Florian Wirtz also dropped to the bench so that the midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai could be reunited.
Villa started well. For the first 20 minutes they made the champions chase shadows, although clear-cut chances were few and far between. Morgan Rogers went on a run and piledrove the ball into Giorgi Mamardashvili’s palm from 20 yards; Matty Cash pinged a shot off the angle of the post.
Liverpool had the better chances, most of them coming via Szoboszlai. The Hungarian dragged a shot wide, blew a 1-v-1 chance after Villa gave the ball away in front of the mixer, and then saw his freekick parried by Emiliano Martinez.
As the break approached Hugo Ekitike stole into the box to head in from Szoboszlai’s cross and lift Anfield’s spirits, but he had strayed offside and it was ruled out.
Villa failed to heed the warning. Shortly after, Mohamed Salah brought the jubilation back when he jumped in to punish Martinez’s stray pass with a one-time finish.
Emery’s academic gameplan then unravelled. Just before the hour mark, Liverpool doubled their lead, the gangly Gravenberch collecting from 25 yards out and careening goalwards, before realising that he could in fact go from distance.
Go from distance he did and he reaped the rewards, with Martinez completely deceived and reaching the other way as the ball nestled into the net.
Villa sputtered before going out. Near the end there was the ball that found its way to Watkins and he mishit it. Donyell Malen struck from distance and Mamardashvili had to palm it away at full stretch.
Ross Barkley turned spectacularly in the box but the follow-up shot went skyscraper high. Jadon Sancho had a go from outside the area when he came on but it was always rising.
