Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 0 - Report

The Egyptian international stroked home his 14th Premier League goal of the season in the 67th minute to break Villa’s dogged resistance, after he had been brought down by Tyrone Mings.

Liverpool’s victory was deserved after they dominated large portions of the match, with visiting keeper Emi Martinez making several fine saves.

But Villa rallied late and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty of their own when substitute Danny Ings was brought down by home keeper Alisson.

Analysis

It wasn’t the only occasion the shot-stopper had looked shaky over the course of the afternoon and the frustration for Villa was their failure to test him with a shot on target.

In defence Gerrard’s team performed admirably before Salah got the better of the otherwise excellent Mings to win a penalty. Though Villa’s attitude could not be faulted, ultimately they did not do enough in attack.

Gerrard’s return to the club where he made more than 700 appearances was the big talking point before the game but in reality the occasion proved somewhat low-key.

The Villa boss acknowledged the Kop both before kick-off and at the final whistle, when they sang his name. But otherwise his attention appeared soley on events on the pitch.

Villa’s team featured just one change from last weekend’s 2-1 win over Leicester but it was a defensive one, the fit-again Matt Targett replacing record signing Emi Buendia, with Ashley Young pushed up into a more advanced position.

Ings was fit enough for a place among the substitutes after recovering from a hamstring injury, while Trezeguet returned for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury during Villa’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield eight months ago.

It was Liverpool who made most of the early running, though their first big chance did not arrive until just past the 10-minute mark. Andy Robertson’s low ball across the face of the box ran to Alexander-Arnold and his drive was blocked by a diving Targett, behind for a corner.

Robertson would then get the next opening as he arrived to meet Mo Salah’s cross at the far post. His header took a nasty deflection off Matty Cash and threatened to sneak inside the near post but Martinez was down quickly to save.

It was frenetic stuff at times in the Villa box. Sadio Mane saw his appeals for a penalty correctly waved away after tumbling under pressure from Cash. Robertson’s claims, after cutting inside Villa’s right-back, were a little more valid but also dismissed by referee Stuart Attwell.

Oxlade-Chamberlain then fired over after Marvelous Nakamba lost possession in midfield, the latter picking up a booking for bringing down Jordan Henderson.

Villa’s attacking moments were limited and when they arrived players were not quite sharp enough to make them count. Their best came when Alisson misjudged a long ball but while Young succeeded in nodding it over the keeper, he was unable to pick out Ollie Watkins with a cross blocked by Joel Matip.

Liverpool had nearly two-thirds of the possession during the opening half but Villa were defending doggedly. Salah, quiet for most of the piece, finally found space in the box late in the half but his low drive was saved by Martinez at his near post.

The half-time whistle was greeted by loud boos from the home support, most of them directed at Attwell but also indicative of the frustration caused by Villa’s resilience.

Martinez came to his team’s rescue again early in the second half, palming over van Dijk’s powerful header from a corner.

Mane and Salah both sent efforts just off target from distance as the hosts continued to push and probe.

The breakthrough finally arrived midway through the second half. Salah looked to get round Mings and the Villa skipper was late with his attempt to dispossess the Egyptian by a split-second. Attwell pointed to the spot and Salah, after a lengthy delay, gave Martinez no chance with a spot-kick struck just inside the post.

Salah might have had another were it not for the determination of Targett, who blocked his drive over the bar. Villa then escaped calamity when, after Mings had dispossessed Diogo Jota, Konsa undersold his backpass but the former Wolves man was unable to direct his finish on target.

Gerrard introduced Ings off the bench and finally Villa began to threaten. Watkins fired a cross just in front of his strike partner, before a moment of controversy in the final five minutes when Alisson almost conceded a penalty.

The keeper raced out meet Morgan Sanson’s through ball but only managed to blast his clearance into Matip, before Ings went down as he tangled with the keeper trying to retrieve the loose ball. Referee Attwell ruled no penalty and VAR opted not to intervene but either way, it was a lucky escape for the hosts.

Key Moments

67 GOAL Liverpool take the lead through Mo Salah’s penalty.

Teams

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago (Milner 83), Salah, Mane (Minamino 88), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Jota 58) Subs not used: Konate, Keita, Gomez, Minamino, Tsimikas, Williams, Kelleher (gk).

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba (Sanson 57), Luiz, Ramsey (Ings 74), Watkins, Young (Buendia 69) Subs not used: Tuanzebe, Hause, Chukwuemeka, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Steer (gk).