Overview
- Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield to snap a run of four successive Premier League defeats and move up to third with a first clean sheet in 11 matches.
- Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time for his 250th Liverpool goal after Emiliano Martinez misplaced a pass out from the back.
- Ryan Gravenberch, returning from an ankle injury, added a second on 58 minutes with a shot that deflected off Pau Torres.
- Arne Slot’s reset emphasized a high press and key selections, with Dominik Szoboszlai preferred to Florian Wirtz and Andy Robertson recalled ahead of Milos Kerkez.
- Anfield loudly backed Slot as Villa’s early openings — Morgan Rogers hitting the post and Matty Cash denied by Giorgi Mamardashvili — gave way to Liverpool control before Real Madrid and then Manchester City await.