Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Premier League – as it happened

10.23pm GMT Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa Related: Salah and Gravenberch secure welcome win for Liverpool against Aston Villa 10.22pm GMT Arne Slot's reaction What I liked most was that the players and the fans all felt the importance of the game – that this was the moment to show we are still there. We were ready for it today – against a team, by the way, that was in very, very good form. It’s a good result. The margins sre small in the Premier League, you see it in every game – it was the same today. We didn’t concede from a set-piece, which is very helpful if you want to win football matches, especially in the Premier League at the moment. The midfield were very good, as a team and individually. There were some other outstanding performances as well. [On Ryan Gravenberch] We’ll see how his ankle feels. I think he’s able to go again [against Real Madrid], but we’ll have to see. [On Mo Salah] Mo scores, again, which is not a surprise to anyone I think. But I also liked that he was strong every time we played long balls towards him and he helped his team out defensively. This is the Mo that I, we, he himself want to see. We have to be very, very, very good against Real Madrid. It’s another challenge but one to look forward to. 10.03pm GMT Mo Salah's reaction It’s a very important win – we’ve had some losses but I’m glad we’re coming back ahead of some important games. [Are you happy with how your season has started?] Nah, but I know football I said from the beginning it’s a tricky season for us because we have a few new players. Very good signings but they need time to adapt, and we lost some good players as well. We just need time. I think we’ll be fine. [On reaching 250 goals for Liverpool] It’s a great feeling to sacore goals and win trophies for such a big club. I don’t take it for granted. I’m so proud. 9.56pm GMT Full time: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa A rousing victory for Liverpool, who jump to third in the table after ending a run of four straight league defeats. Mo Salah scored his 250th goal for Liverpool after an errant pass –less charitable adjectives are available – by Emi Martinez on the stroke of half-time. Ryan Gravenberch scored the second on his return to the side. It was a fun game, played at a furious pace. Villa hit the post twice at 0-0, once after a great save from Giorgi Mamardashvili, while there were several near misses at the other end. It’s too early to say Liverpool are back, not least because their next two games are against Real Madrid and Manchester City, but this was arguably their best performance of the season. Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Arsenal 10 15 25 2 AFC Bournemouth 9 5 18 3 Liverpool 10 4 18 4 Tottenham Hotspur 10 9 17 5 Chelsea 10 7 17 9.54pm GMT 90+2 min The Villa sub Tyrone Mings has gone off holding his hamstring, so they will be down to ten for the last couple of minutes. Poor guy has had no luck at all with injury. 9.53pm GMT 90+1 min Four minutes of added time. 9.53pm GMT 90 min Plenty of late pressure from Villa, with Sancho looking good on the left since coming on as substitute. Despite this result, their season is on an upward trajectory. 9.50pm GMT 87 min Szoboszlai and … Unai Emery are booked after a row over a throw-in. 9.46pm GMT 84 min “Given that Liverpool are playing well and up to third in the table, to whom does the coveted title of Bald Fraud™ pass?” wonders Kári Tulinius. “Nuno? I suppose if Bournemouth win tomorrow, it can be reclaimed by the original Bald Fraud™.” I’ll have it. I always wanted to win something. 9.44pm GMT 82 min “Wonderful to get two sports for the price of one in the same contest,” writes Colum Fordham. “The wrestling match between Mac Allister and Onana added to the fun of seeing the renewed intensity of a Liverpool side that has been out of sorts for the last four or five weeks. Slot out? Surely not! Hopefully the tide has turned and Liverpool have cashed in on Villa’s profligacy.” Anyone who wanted Slot to be sacked after a few defeats should be banned from offering an opinion on football for the next five years. Updated at 9.45pm GMT 9.43pm GMT 80 min Rogers is booked for dissent. 9.42pm GMT 80 min Gakpo has a shot blocked and Villa break through Rogers. The move peters out but Villa have come to life in the last few minutes and a goal would make things interesting. Updated at 9.43pm GMT 9.42pm GMT 79 min Sancho runs at Bradley and guides a neat pass into Barkley, 15 yards from goal. He shoots high and wide on the turn. Tough chance but classy play from Sancho, whose ceiling, though rarely visible, remains so high. 9.39pm GMT 78 min: Liverpool substitution Florian Wirtz comes on for the impressive and hugely popular Hugo Ekitike. 9.39pm GMT 76 min Ekitike backheels the ball to Robertson, whose brilliant cross is taken off Salah’s head by Maatsen at the far post. Superb defending. 9.37pm GMT 75 min: Double substitution for Villa Jadon Sancho, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen replace Lucas Digne, Ollie Watkins and Pau Torres. 9.36pm GMT 74 min Mac Allister goes down again before the corner is taken. Then, when it is swung in, Onana is penalised for a foul on Mac Allister. They were basically re-enacting Hulk Hogan v Andre the Giant circa 1987. 9.36pm GMT 73 min Villa win a corner on the right. Before it can be taken, Onana shoves Mac Allister over by the neck. He’s booked and VAR upholds the decision; that could easily have been a red card. 9.34pm GMT 71 min The XI picked by Arne Slot tonight is much closer to last season’s, with Giorgio Mamardashvili and Hugo Ekitike the only new players, and it’s probably no coincidence that Liverpool have produced their best performance of this season. Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are far too good to fail, but their integration may take longer than we envisaged. Updated at 9.37pm GMT 9.33pm GMT 70 min Malen almost changes the mood – and the scoreline – with a fierce shot that swerves not far wide of the near post. I suspect Mamardashvili had it covered though. 9.31pm GMT 68 min So anyway, Slot out? 9.28pm GMT 65 min Watkins fresh-airs an awkward volley from the left side of the box. Villa have contributed so much to this game but right now they look a beaten team. 9.26pm GMT 63 min Liverpool rode their luck at times in the first half, when Villa hit the post twice, but overall their performance has been superb. While the result was always the most important thing tonight, this performance – full of the intensity and quality we saw throughout last season - feels like a palate-cleanser. 9.24pm GMT 61 min “Stay focused for 90 minutes?” sniffs Simon McMahon. “I can barely concentrate for more than five these days, which is why I’m following the MBM at the same time as watching Girlbands Forever on telly, listening to the radio, writing emails, talking to cats and pouring large whiskies. Could Martinez do that?” The pass for Salah’s goal made it look like he’d been on the whisky!!!!!! #roflcopter. Updated at 9.30pm GMT 9.22pm GMT 59 min: Double substitution for Villa Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen replace John McGinn and Evann Guessand. 9.22pm GMT After a couple of crisp passes, Gravenberch veered from right to centre and tried his luck from the edge of the D. His luck was in: the left-foot shot took a deflection and wrongfooted Martinez. 9.21pm GMT GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa (Gravenberch 58) Ryan Gravenberch, back in the side to keep Liverpool’s sheet clean, helps sully Villa’s by scoring the second goal. Updated at 9.25pm GMT 9.19pm GMT 57 min Cash is booked, I think for a foul on Ekitike. 9.16pm GMT 54 min Rogers rolls Van Dijk, who bundles him over and is booked. Rogers is some footballer. 9.16pm GMT 53 min Martinez makes a fine save to deny Bradley, though it wouldn’t have counted because Salah was offside in the build-up. Salah did brilliantly to head Gakpo’s cross back towards Bradley but he was a long way offside. 9.13pm GMT 51 min Cash tries to curve an imaginative pass around the defence to put Guessand throug on goal. The sliding Robertson makes an important interception and, because it wasn’t a backpass, Mamardashvili is safe to pick the ball up. 9.11pm GMT 49 min “Martinez is a good keeper, but he seems unable to stay focused for 90 minutes these days,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Marco Bizot is also a good keeper, who was great for Brest, and were I Unai Emery, I’d give him a run in goal for Villa.” 9.11pm GMT 48 min Gakpo miscontrols a Salah pass right in front of goal. He was offside, though, and that’s probably why he lost concentration as it was a simple ball to control. 9.09pm GMT 48 min A relatively quiet start to the second half. 9.08pm GMT 47 min “The best half of attacking football Liverpool have played this season,” writes Matt Dony. “By a long way. You get the impression they’ll need to score one or two more to secure the victory, as Villa clearly have a couple of goals in them. But that’s encouraging. Also, a reminder of just how ridiculous Ian ‘Didn’t Even Take Penalties’ Rush’s goalscoring figures were. Wales have been blessed with some genuinely unbelievable players, but never enough at one time. And often in similar positions. Annoyingly.” 9.07pm GMT 46 min Liverpool get the second half under way. 8.54pm GMT Half-time reading All together now: Fashion, turn to the left… Related: Premier League has turned a tactical corner but set-play trend will surely fade | Jonathan Wilson 8.53pm GMT Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa Fast, furious entertainment at Anfield. Villa hit the post twice, but Liverpool dominated possession and threatened regularly before Mo Salah punished a terrible pass from Emi Martinez. See you in 10 minutes for the second half. Updated at 8.56pm GMT 8.49pm GMT 45+3 min Only Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285) have scored more goals for Liverpool than Mo Salah. 8.49pm GMT Mo Salah scores his 250th goal for Liverpool after a rank howler from Emi Martinez. He tried to pass the ball to Pau Torres on the left the Villa area, got his angles wrong and gave the ball straight to Salah. He guided an instant shot around Pau Torres and into the empty net with his right foot. Updated at 8.50pm GMT 8.48pm GMT GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa (Salah 45+2) And now he’s back on the scoresheet! Updated at 8.55pm GMT 8.47pm GMT 45 min Salah slips Digne superbly, only for Onana to get back and put out the burgeoning fire. Salah has shown glimpses of his best tonight, particularly with those quick touches to evade an incoming defender. 8.46pm GMT No goal! Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa Yep, Ekitike was offside. Just before the disallowed goal, no more than ten seconds, Konsa lunged to make a brilliant block from Mac Allister’s shot. Updated at 8.46pm GMT 8.45pm GMT Hang on, this looks offside. It was an excellent downward header from Szoboszlai’s cross but it will be ruled out. Updated at 8.45pm GMT 8.45pm GMT GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa (Ekitike 43) At one end or another, a goal was coming! 8.43pm GMT 39 min Watkins is bundled over 30-odd yards from goal after a sinuous run infield. Cash drives the free-kick well wide. Updated at 8.59pm GMT 8.39pm GMT 38 min Robertson’s free-kick is fractionally too high for Konate at the far post; his header thus goes well wide. 8.38pm GMT 36 min Gakpo’s snapshot is blocked by Cash after a quick Liverpool move. 8.36pm GMT 35 min Plenty of Liverpool pressure now. The first goal is always important but tonight it feels positively Brobdingnagian, Clive. 8.35pm GMT 33 min Szoboszlai curls a good free-kick that is pushed away to his left by the diving Martinez. I fancy he saw that late, which made it a better save. 8.34pm GMT 32 min Gakpo moves smoothly infield and is tripped by Guessand just outside the area. That could have been a yellow card and Robertson politely asks the referee what’s what. More importantly, Liverpool have a free-kick 20 yards from goal, a fair way to the left of centre… Updated at 8.34pm GMT 8.33pm GMT 29 min Onana is back on. Updated at 8.34pm GMT 8.30pm GMT 27 min Onana stays down after running into one of the advertising boards behind the Villa goal. He was given a helping shove by Szoboszlai as he shepherded the ball out of play. Villa’s players aren’t happy; nor are the home fans; nor is Van Dijk, who wants the game to continue. But the good news is all parties have covered themselves in empathic glory! Updated at 8.30pm GMT 8.28pm GMT 26 min “Never mind the final score, this could be 4-3 (or 3-4) already,” says Matt Dony. “Exciting game, but terrified that Liverpool are wasting so many opportunities.” You should be neutral mate; it’s great fun. 8.27pm GMT 25 min Guessand breaks behind Van Dijk and moves into the area. Robertson makes a good, if risky, tackle from the wrong side and the danger passes. For about 10 seconds, until Liverpool lose the ball in their own penalty area and Guessand’s shot from 18 yards is desperately blocked by Van Dijk. 8.25pm GMT 23 min: Big chance for Szoboszlai! Szoboszlai does superbly to read a return pass towards Pau Torres just outside the area, nick the ball and run through on goal. But his left-foot finish is tame and Martinez falls to his right to save. Updated at 8.33pm GMT 8.24pm GMT 22 min At the other end, Salah shoots over from the edge of the D. This match is great fun; the pace is ferocious. Updated at 8.26pm GMT 8.24pm GMT 21 min Rogers swerves majestically away from Gravenberch and curls a shot towards goal from 25 yards. Mamardashvili dives to his right to push it away – a comfortable save, certainly compared to the last one, but a thrilling run from Rogers. 8.21pm GMT 19 min: Superb save by Mamardashvili! Cash wallops a shot from a ludicrous angle that takes a nick off Van Dijk and flies towards the top corner. Mamardashvili leaps high to his left and fingertips the ball onto the outside of the post and behind for a corner. That’s a great stop, the kind Mamardashvili made every few minutes (or so it seemed) at Euro 2024. Updated at 8.22pm GMT 8.20pm GMT 18 min Good spell this for Liverpool, with the crowd finding their voice again. Salah slips Digne expertly, then cuts inside and crosses towards Gakpo at the far post. He heads back across goal and Ekitike can’t reach the the ball on the stretch. It came at an awkward height. Seconds later, Szoboszlai’s clever looping header finds Robertson, whose sidefoot volley from the edge of the area deflects through to Martinez. 8.17pm GMT 15 min Szoboszlai, 25 yards out, hits a sweet strike that goes a few yards past the left-hand post. It wasn’t too far wide but Martinez was comfortable and barely even looked at the ball. 8.15pm GMT 13 min Salah plays a superb pass to the underlapping Bradley, whose cutback is crucially cut out at the near post by Torres. Excellent positioning. 8.13pm GMT 12 min Watkins looks lively and is pulling to the left at every opportunity, with McGinn and Rogers supporting him on that side. One such run leads to a throw-in high up the pitch. Digne takes it short, gets it back and swings a cross that is headed away by Van Dijk. 8.11pm GMT 9 min Szoboszlai’s cross from the right is headed away as far as Robertson. He tries to whip a cross back towards Salah but overhits it. It’s been a fun, fast start to the game. 8.08pm GMT 5 min: Rogers hits the post! Morgan Rogers, just inside the area to the left of centre, whips a shot that thumps the far post and rebounds to safety. A brilliant effort from Rogers, who had also started the move with a superb long pass out to Watkins. 8.06pm GMT 4 min The away end cheer lustily when the ball rolls out of play after Gakpo fails to control a crossfield pass from Konate. 8.04pm GMT 2 min Gravenberch’s shot from distance is blocked on the edge of the area. Liverpool, as you’d expect, have come flying out of the traps. 8.02pm GMT 1 min Aston Villa, in white, kick off from left to right as we watch. Great atmosphere at Anfield. Updated at 8.08pm GMT 8.01pm GMT On the ball – guess the footballer The Guardian (that’s us, folks) has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for? Related: Upgrade your downtime with Guardian Puzzles 8.00pm GMT “I’m on the train with a bunch of Pompey lads who wont get home ‘til about midnight after a 4-0 shellacking at St Andrew’s,” writes Gary Naylor. “That they’re in good spirits and planning another away day to Hull, speaks to the irrational nature of the football fan, the game a largely safe space for an otherwise dangerous indulgence. “That irrationality wants Liverpool to be in crisis, loves the prospect of the inquests in the morning, the phone-ins that will demand his Slot’s head on a stick and Salah and Van Dijk to be sold in January. It’s childish and all but indefensible - but millions of us feel like this!” Dear Liverpool fans, Gary’s contact details are available for a small fee. Updated at 8.01pm GMT 7.59pm GMT All set? This could be a cracker. I’m predicting Liverpool 4-3 Aston Villa. 7.58pm GMT A reminder of the teams Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.Subs: Woodman, Pecsi, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Wirtz, Chiesa, Nyoni, Ngumoha. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Guessand, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.Subs: Bizot, Maatsen, Lindelof, Mings, Bogarde, Barkley, Sancho, Malen, Broggio. Referee Stuart Attwell. 7.40pm GMT “Yeah, Liverpool were top of the league a few weeks ago, but in all honesty, they weren’t playing a huge amount better then than they are now,” writes Matt Dony. “That mad run of late winners wasn’t sustainable. Sometimes a team has good luck, sometimes they have bad luck, and you just have to hope it all evens out. “This group of players is too good to be this mediocre for a long period, things will certainly click into place at some point. But I fear it may not be enough. I worry that (already) the title may be gone. The psychological impact of this spell will likely linger, for both Liverpool AND Arsenal. “Still, a few pride-restoring wins in the short term would be a big help. And, hey, if not tonight, there’s always Real Madrid and Man City to come in the next few days. What could possibly go wrong…” 7.33pm GMT The Premier League table going into tonight’s game Liverpool (10th) and Villa (11th) will jump to third if they win. It’s like snakes and bloody ladders. Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Arsenal 10 15 25 2 AFC Bournemouth 9 5 18 3 Tottenham Hotspur 10 9 17 4 Chelsea 10 7 17 5 Sunderland 9 4 17 6 Man Utd 10 1 17 7 Man City 9 10 16 8 Crystal Palace 10 5 16 9 Brighton 10 2 15 10 Liverpool 9 2 15 11 Aston Villa 9 1 15 12 Brentford 10 -2 13 13 Newcastle 9 1 12 14 Fulham 10 -2 11 15 Everton 9 -3 11 16 Leeds 10 -8 11 17 Burnley 10 -7 10 18 Nottm Forest 10 -12 6 19 West Ham 9 -13 4 20 Wolverhampton 10 -15 2 Updated at 7.46pm GMT 7.33pm GMT Premier League result: Spurs 0-1 Chelsea Joao Pedro’s goal gave Chelsea victory at Spurs – but they could have won by four or five. Scott Murray is following that one. Related: Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea: Premier League – live reaction 7.01pm GMT Arne Slot makes three changes from last Saturday’s defeat at Brentford. Andy Robertson replaces the struggling Milos Kerkez at left-back; Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister come in for Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz. Just one changed to the Villa side that beat Manchester City: Evann Guessand comes in for the injured Emi Buendia. 6.52pm GMT Team news Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.Subs: Woodman, Pecsi, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Wirtz, Chiesa, Nyoni, Ngumoha. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Guessand, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.Subs: Bizot, Maatsen, Lindelof, Mings, Bogarde, Barkley, Sancho, Malen, Broggio. Referee Stuart Attwell. Updated at 6.56pm GMT 6.45pm GMT Arne Slot has said the Liverpool hierarchy share his views on the reasons for the team’s slump and he will not abandon an attacking style in search of a way out. The head coach admitted that six defeats in seven games was unacceptable before Aston Villa’s visit on Saturday and denied making excuses for Liverpool’s worst domestic run in 72 years. Slot accepted the pressure was on before his makeshift team exited the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace on Wednesday. That pressure to arrest the slide, however, is not, he insisted, coming from Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, FSG’s chief executive of football, Michael Edwards, or the sporting director, Richard Hughes, after a summer transfer outlay of almost £450m. Read more… 6.45pm GMT Preamble In a dim, distant past – five and a bit weeks ago – Liverpool were top of the Premier League, 12 points clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa. Now the two clubs are level on points, snuggled together in mid-table. Villa’s recovery is a reminder that things change very quickly in football; that bad patches are almost unavoidable and you just have to ride them out. Easier said than done, especially when you: a) are the reigning championsb) are one of the biggest clubs in the worldc) spent eye-watering wonga in the summer andd) exist in a culture that has gone completely mad The good news for Arne Slot is that there’s a simple solution: if Liverpool win tonight, the bloodlustful masses will look elsewhere. At least until the next game. Kick off 8pm.