Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Salah, Gravenberch put them in the top 3
Ending a 4-match losing streak, Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 2-0 thanks to Salah 45+1 and Gravenberch 58. Konate–Van Dijk was solid, they moved up to 3rd place with 18 points/10 matches.
Liverpool ended a run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. Mohamed Salah took advantage of a mistake in the 45+1 minute to open the scoring, before Ryan Gravenberch sealed the victory in the 58th minute. The result took Arne Slot's team to third place with 18 points after 10 matches (+4 goal difference).
Key moments that decided the match
- Minute 6: Morgan Rogers combined with Ollie Watkins, the ball hit the post of Giorgi Mamardashvili's goal.
- Minute 17: Salah passed the ball to Gakpo for a header, Ekitike missed a beat.
- Minute 23: Dominik Szoboszlai won the ball and shot diagonally but Emiliano Martinez saved it.
- Minute 43: Ekitike headed the ball into the net but was automatically denied by offside technology.
- Minute 45+1: Pau Torres - Martinez's coordination error, Salah seized the opportunity to put Liverpool ahead 1-0.
- Minute 53: Conor Bradley's dangerous shot, Martinez's excellent reflex.
- Minute 58: Mac Allister - Gakpo coordinated, passed the ball to Gravenberch, who shot and hit Pau Torres, changing direction, 2-0.
- Minute 90+2: Tyrone Mings has a hamstring injury, Villa runs out of substitutions and plays with one less player for the rest of the match.
Development: Anfield goes through storms and then explodes
Villa started the game at a fast pace and gave an early warning when Rogers' shot hit the post. Minutes later, Matty Cash's deflected shot forced Mamardashvili to dive and hit the crossbar. Liverpool gradually regained their rhythm in the middle of the half as Salah moved wide, opening up space for Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike. Szoboszlai was a force through the lines, pressing and creating chances, but Martinez stood firm.
The climax came just before half-time: Ekitike was caught offside by the automatic offside technology, then just a beat later, a mistake between Pau Torres and Martinez gave Salah a golden opportunity. The Egyptian striker only needed one neat touch to break the deadlock in the 45+1 minute.
Second half: Pressure maintained, goal came from central attack
Liverpool did not retreat after the break. Bradley had a dangerous shot in the 53rd minute but Martinez saved it. In the 58th minute, Mac Allister coordinated with Gakpo and passed the ball to Gravenberch, who quickly shot with his left foot. The ball lightly touched Pau Torres and changed direction, leaving Martinez helpless, making the score 2-0.
Villa deployed Ross Barkley, Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho to increase speed and penetration, but the central defenders Ibrahima Konate - Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Mamardashvili controlled the crosses and long shots well. When Mings suffered a hamstring injury in the 90+2 minute and the visitors ran out of substitutions, the game was almost over.
Tactical analysis: 4-2-3-1, high wings and second line pressure
Both teams started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. For Liverpool, the full-back pair Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley continuously pushed up, pinning the Villa defense down and creating more receiving stations on the wing. Up front, Mohamed Salah did not stay in his position but moved wide to stretch the defense, opening up space for Gakpo and Ekitike to penetrate.
The midfield was key: Alexis Mac Allister kept the tempo and passed the ball out wide, Ryan Gravenberch chose his timing to run forward. Gravenberch’s goal came from exactly that structure: receiving the ball after a central pass and finishing early, exploiting a moment of instability in Villa’s backline. In the opposite direction, Liverpool maintained high pressure early in the second half, limiting Villa’s ability to progress despite the visitors’ attempts to refresh their firepower with attacking substitutions.
Number Highlights
- Score: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa.
- Goals: Salah 45+1; Gravenberch 58 (the ball touched Pau Torres and changed direction).
- Disallowed goal: Ekitike 43 (automatic offside technology).
- Ranking: Liverpool ranked 3rd with 18 points/10 matches, goal difference +4.
Impact and schedule
The victory helped Liverpool temporarily overcome the slump, strengthening their confidence before the away trip to Etihad to meet Man City in the next round.
Starting lineup
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Emiliano Martínez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; Evann Guessand, Morgan Rogers, John McGinn; Ollie Watkins.
Subs: Marco Bizot, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley, Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Ben Broggio.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Giorgi Mamardashvili; Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitike.
Subs: Freddie Woodman, Armin Pesci, Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha.
