Liverpool into top 3 of Premier League

Jurgen Klopp and his team continued their winning streak with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in round four of the Premier League.

The comeback win over Newcastle in round 3 was like a dose of morale booster for Liverpool. They played like a storm and did not give Aston Villa, who were on the rise with four consecutive victories in all competitions, a chance to "survive" leaving Anfield. Throughout the match, Liverpool controlled the ball 64% of the time, had 14 shots, four of which were on target.

Liverpool played impressively at home without Van Dijk. Photo: Reuters

It took the home side just three minutes to take the lead, with new signing Dominik Szoboszlai unleashing a left-footed strike that left goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez rooted to the spot. It was Szoboszlai's first goal for Liverpool in a competitive game, having played the full 90 minutes in each of his previous three games.

The early goal did not make Aston Villa impatient. But they continued to suffer when defender Diego Carlos was injured and had to leave the field in the 19th minute. Three minutes later, Liverpool doubled the gap. From Mohamed Salah's cross, Darwin Nunez volleyed the ball. The ball hit the post, bounced off Matty Cash and into the net.

Nunez was in the starting lineup after coming off the bench and scoring twice against Newcastle. But clearly, the Uruguayan striker still needs to improve his ability to take advantage of opportunities if he wants to shoulder the goal-scoring task.

Salah scored, sealing a 3-0 victory for Liverpool. Photo: Reuters

The two teams traded blows in the following minutes. Joel Matip headed wide of the post after being unmarked after a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick. John McGinn had a chance on the counter-attack but missed. Nunez played a good combination with Salah but hit the crossbar.

The script did not change much in the second half. Both teams were ready to attack and create beautiful combinations. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker's reflexes prevented Cash from making up for his mistake in an attack, while Nunez was still unlucky with a volley that went just a few meters away.

In the 55th minute, Liverpool sealed the score from a corner kick. Although he did not score, Nunez showed his ability to create with a high header for Salah to tap in from close range. Salah became the first player to score or assist in 10 consecutive Premier League matches, after his own feat in December 2021 (15 consecutive matches).

Szoboszlai celebrates with Klopp after scoring his first goal for Liverpool. Photo: Reuters

Villa tried to find an equaliser in the remaining time but were unable to. McGinn headed a cross from Leon Bailey straight at Alisson. Diaby tore apart Liverpool's defence with a late cross, but none of his teammates were able to get in to help.

On the other side of the goal, Liverpool also had a chance to score more goals. The most dangerous was Salah's escape, but his close-range volley was excellently saved by Martinez.

With this victory, Liverpool climbed to third place, with 10 points equal to Tottenham and two points behind leaders Man City. After the national team training, Klopp's team will visit Wolves and then play in the Europa League group stage against LASK.

Quang Huy

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