Liverpool defeat Aston Villa to extend lead

Liverpool widened their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points after a solid 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield, taking full advantage of Manchester City’s earlier slip-up against Brighton.
City’s 2-1 loss meant Liverpool entered the match knowing that a win would provide a comfortable buffer heading into the international break.

Darwin Nunez opened the scoring in the 20th minute, pouncing on a loose ball after Mohamed Salah was tangled up with Leon Bailey during a swift counter-attack, and slotting past Villa’s goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Nunez had another prime opportunity shortly after but missed, driving his shot over the bar.
Caoimhin Kelleher kept Liverpool in front with crucial first-half saves, denying Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos. Early in the second half, Villa’s Morgan Rogers missed a golden chance to equalize, clipping his shot wide.

In a tight second half, Villa manager Unai Emery felt his side deserved a penalty after Conor Bradley appeared to pull Pau Torres’s shirt, but the video assistant referee (VAR) declined to intervene. Mohamed Salah sealed Liverpool’s win in the 84th minute, slipping a shot into the near post to score for the fourth consecutive league match.

With this win, Liverpool now have nine wins from 11 Premier League games and remain unbeaten in 15 of 17 under new manager Arne Slot. Villa currently sit in eighth place.