LIVERPOOL HINT AT PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE CHALLENGE IN VILLA CRUISE
Agency Report
Liverpool continued their unbeaten start to the new season with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday. The Reds looked like the dominant Jurgen Klopp team of old.
In addition to Matty Cash’s own goal, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah both had goals on target for the team.
With a win, the Reds will be two points behind Manchester City in the Premier League standings.
Liverpool fans will be dreaming of a championship push once more, but it was the manner of the victory and a return of 10 points from a difficult opening four games of the new season that will have them feeling that way.
Following Liverpool’s first championship in 30 years in 2020, Klopp’s team again lost the championship to City by a single point in 2019 and 2022.
However, they finished fifth in the Premier League last year, which prevented them from playing in the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
Liverpool’s goals for the next season appeared to be limited to a return to the top four after a challenging summer in the transfer market resulted in them missing out on a number of targets.
Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, two recent additions, have fit in well despite the fact that Klopp had to entirely reconstruct his midfield.
The Reds’ refusal of a sizable offer from Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia for Mohamed Salah this week was arguably their most significant transaction of the transfer window.
With Darwin Nunez now finding his footing after a challenging debut season, Liverpool’s potency up front is undeniable. Salah was a constant threat.
Nunez earned his first start of the season last weekend and two goals against Newcastle as compensation for his game-winning performance off the bench.
Alexander-Arnold sets the tone
The Uruguayan’s pace and power consistently exposed the Villa defence but it was from a set-piece that the home side broke the deadlock after just three minutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner came out to the edge of the box where Szoboszlai arrowed a powerful shot into the far corner on his weaker left foot.
Alexander-Arnold controlled the game from his new role at the base of the Liverpool midfield when in possession.
Captain for the day in the absence of the suspended Virgil van Dijk, it was his pass that started the move for the second goal.
Salah squared for Nunez, who should have scored himself, but when his shot came back off the post, the ball ricocheted in off the unfortunate Cash.
Villa had lost just seven Premier League games in 28 under Unai Emery.