Express & Star

Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 1 - Report

Villa’s hopes of European football suffered a big blow as they were beaten at the death by Liverpool.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold fired home a stoppage time winner as the hosts came from behind to snatch victory.

Ollie Watkins had earlier put Villa ahead before Roberto Firmino saw an equaliser controversially chalked off by VAR.

Mo Salah eventually did level for the hosts just past the hour mark but after Trezeguet hit the post for Villa, Alexander-Arnold won it.

Analysis

Victory would have seen Villa jump to within two points of the Reds but instead they now sit 10th and could be in the bottom half by the end of the weekend.

They will travel back to the Midlands wondering what might have been having run the champions close without playing at their best.

Indeed, Watkins’ opener came somewhat against the run of play and Villa were fortunate to hold the lead at the break when Firmino’s goal was ruled out by the most marginal of offside calls.

Yet when the Reds did eventually level through Salah it was Villa who began to gain the upper hand and Trezeguet came within a whisker of scoring a memorable goal.

Dean Smith’s men just couldn’t find a way through and were eventually made to pay as Alexander-Arnold won the match in ther closing minutes.

While skipper Jack Grealish missed his eighth game through injury, Villa were also without Morgan Sanson with the French midfielder still not recovered from a knee injury sustained in the previous weekend’s 3-1 win against Fulham.

Marvelous Nakamba took his place in the centre of the park, with Trezeguet replacing Anwar El Ghazi in Villa’s other change.

Trezeguet’s quick double had inspired his team to a fightback against Fulham but it didn’t appear much of the momentum had carried to Anfield as Liverpool bossed the early stages.

Indeed, Villa skipper Tyrone Mings was fortunate to avoid embarrassment for the second week running as having failed to cut out Diogo Jota’s through ball, he looked on with relief as Salah nudged his finish wide of the post.

Visiting keeper Emiliano Martinez had already denied the Egypt international with an early save while Firmino and Jota both fired efforts just off target.

Villa were terribly sloppy in possession but on the few occasions they did trouble the Liverpool defence, they looked dangerous, Ezri Konsa sending a free header straight at Alisson from a Matt Targett free-kick.

After a strange delay when it appeared Douglas Luiz was about to come off for an injury, only to remain on, it was the hosts who continued to ask the questions. Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a free-kick just over the bar, while Jota should have hit the target with a free header from a corner.

But there was a definite vulnerability about the Reds defence and two minutes before the break Villa cut through it to score. Luiz found John McGinn, whose sharp pass to Watkins was fired underneath Alisson by the striker.

Liverpool looked shaken but by half-time were unlucky not to be level. Firmino thought he had scored their first goal in open play at Anfield for more than 12 hours when he fired high into the roof of the net, only for the effort to be chalked off after an exhausting delay when Jota was ruled to be offside in the build-up.

The hosts continued to look the sharper team at the start of the second half, Salah seeing a shot deflected wide.

His and Liverpool’s frustration would finally be ended in the 57th minute but Villa wasted a couple of openings prior to then, Bertrand Traore hurrying a shot wide before McGinn was unable to get a shot away after being found by Watkins.

They felt like big moments when Martinez saved from Robertson, only for the ball to pop up nicely for Salah to head home for Liverpool’s first Premier League goal from open play at Anfield for 769 minutes.

Five minutes later Villa were agonisingly close to going back in front. Watkins got in behind the home defence and played the ball back to Trezeguet, whose first time shot with the outside of his boot hit the inside of the far post before flying back across the face of goal.

The visitors were now firmly in the game and Trezeguet was perhaps guilty of being too honest by staying on his feet after being clipped by Alexander-Arnold in the box. The Egypt international hurt his knee in the challenge and left the field soon after hobbling.

Ross Barkley, on as a substitute, was unable to get his shot away as Villa began to look the more likely team to get a winner.

But in the first minute of stoppage time it was Liverpool who snatched the points, Alexander-Arnold firing superbly into the bottom corner moments after Martinez had brilliantly denied Thiago at close range.

Key Moments

43 GOAL Villa take the lead. Douglas Luiz finds John McGinn, who fires in a quick pass to Ollie Watkins who drills his finish under Alisson.

45+3 VAR Liverpool think they have equalised through Roberto Firmino but after an exhaustingly long check the goal is chalked off as Diogo Jota is ruled offside in the build-up.

57 GOAL This time Liverpool really are level. Martinez saves Andy Robertson’s strike but the ball pops up for Mo Salah to head home.

62 OFF THE POST Villa go agonisingly close to retaking the lead, Trezeguet firing an effort off the inside of the post with the outside of his boot.

90+1 GOAL Trent Alexander-Arnold wins it for Liverpool, firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Teams

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson, Milner, Fabinho, Wijnaldum (Thiago 70), Salah, Firmino (Mane 75), Jota Subs not used: Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, Davies, Williams, Adrian (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba (Barkley 66), Luiz, Traore (El Ghazi 68), Watkins, Trezeguet (Ramsey 82) Subs not used: Elmohamady, Engels, Hause, Taylor, Davis, Heaton (gk).