(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Liverpool - Aston Villa

Liverpool against Aston Villa has certainly been eventful over the past few seasons, and now with Villa one of the more upwardly mobile teams in the Premier League, it represents another tough test for Liverpool at this tough start to this new Premier League season. The second Anfield game, of course, is a mirror of the final home game of last season, as Aston Villa come to time with Unai Emery, and as we say, they've spent big, as have everybody in the Premier League, and they look very, very strong after getting plundered on the opening day, they've been pretty perfect ever since. Liverpool were certainly at their very best late on at Newcastle a week ago, it was quite a stunning effort to turn that game round out of nothing, having been without Virgil van Dijk from the 28th minute, the hero of the day, Darwin Nunez, comes into the Liverpool starting XI today. Also as well, Curtis Jones returned to the starting line-up, he returned to training this week and is put straight into the team, and Joe Gomez starts in place of van Dijk for his 200th club career appearance. Since Unai Emery has taken charge of Aston Villa, you'd struggle to find many better in the Premier League than what Villa have achieved, they only had three defeats towards the end of last season. Today, with all the transfers and signings they've made, there's only two of the new boys who start today's game, Paul Torres, who's arrived from Villareal, where Emery was previously, and Moussa Diaby's a really interesting signing, coming in from German football in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, where he was really coveted by many, many top Champions League clubs. It's back with Martinez, and it's Paul Torres who's taken a chance! And with the challenge that he's made, it is at the moment a Liverpool corner. I don't think there is anything untoward, clearly makes contact with the ball, then the contact comes from Nunez. That's the early corner, which is gonna come all the way through, where it's hit! Oh, what a strike! Dominic Zaboslai with a stunning goal! Unsaveable, unstoppable, Zaboslai has arrived at Anfield. From that solid distance, you just want the player to make a good strike, good connection, and he does exceptionally well for that. It actually takes off, and the goalkeeper Martinez has got absolutely no chance whatsoever to stop that. Dominic Zaboslai has always had an eye for goal, but did he expect his first Liverpool goal to be this good? Wow. Sensational at Newcastle last week, in a different role as he went more defensive to help his team out. That's Alexander-Arnold again, and he's picked out Salah again, and Darwin Nunez! Oh, it's in! It's come off Kas, Liverpool have another. Darwin Nunez couldn't get it past the post. Matty Kas is very, very unfortunate, Liverpool though deservedly have a second. Trent Alexander-Arnold finds Mohamed Salah, who is again a willing runner to go in behind that back four of Aston Villa. That replay would suggest he's onside. It's just a wee touch in there, and Nunez meets it absolutely perfectly to take it past Martinez. You can't do anything about it at the full-back, it just comes ricocheting off the post and hits him straight on the leg and goes into the back of the net, as he does. Yes, Luis Diaz has made an incredible run and he's thrown to the ground, and it will be yellow. It's brilliant from Liverpool the way they've moved downfield, Camara will get a yellow card. Alexander-Arnold has gone across goal, chance for Liverpool! Joel Matip, with the goal at his mercy. He's left to wonder what Corden should have been. Nicely done by Kas. Douglas Luiz opening the game up really smartly for Luca Dain. It's a great little dummy, and somehow the ball ends up wide of the post from Bailly. And it's somehow. There's a shake of his head and rightly so, you wonder how he's missed it, really. Here's Alexander-Arnold. That's offside against Salah, but Nunez will chase and will be onside! And Villa stop for a moment, now Salah comes into the game, Nunez goes again! He's hit the woodwork this time, away by Kas. Appealing for a penalty now, Liverpool. Oh, that's a little bit too far for Alexander-Arnold. Villa, by the skin of their teeth, are still in this game. Really intelligent play from Mohamed Salah, and then this is so unlucky. There's only one thing he can do, and that's try and lift it over Martinez, he does that exceptionally well, but ever so slightly too high. That's another piercing pass that's found Mohamed Salah for Liverpool. And Martinez makes the save, and booked for a bit of bad luck, a bit of goalkeeping. A little bit of wayward finishing, Liverpool would have been 4-5 up in this first half. Here's Kamara, and this is Dint, who served at one delightful ball in the first half, and does so again. It's a save by Alisson, who tells everybody it didn't cross the line, Villa thought it had. You can see the arousal, Becker, just watch his movement, follows the ball, follows the cross, he's in prime position to stop that. It's a great header from Matty Cash, you can't argue with that. And here they go again, Liverpool, there's an attempted handball by Dint, play goes on, Salah! Darwin Nunez can't score. Just tried to get it towards the goal, threw everything at it. Well, such a difficult one to take. Mohamed Salah, it's a difficult one, isn't it? He's only really got Darwin Nunez to try and pick out. Oh, it's such an awkward one to take, you can see the way his body shape, he's actually going with his legs, he's going with his head, he's trying to get any sort of part of his body to get it onto target. Here's Matty, and here's Alexander-Arnold. And off goes Alexander-Arnold. And wins a corner. You feel a third would end any Villa resistance. Robertson takes, oh, there's a flick at the near post! And it's turned home by Mohamed Salah. Who scores now for Liverpool in 150 different games, it's a stunning achievement from a sensational little player. Another stunning Salah achievement. When you talk about top goal scorers, you talk about the likes of Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, and the one thing they all have in common is anticipation. The anticipation from Mohamed Salah that Darwin Nunez is gonna get that flick on, he takes the chance, he believes he can get in there, and then on the half-volley at the far post it's just a little toe poke to find the back of the net. It's brilliant from Alexander, he's danced his way through midfield. He wants to go all the way! And he wasn't far away from finding the top corner. And a goal that would have lit up Anfield. Instead of trying to make the pass, he attempts the short, which he just gets underneath a little bit and lifts it over. It was dipping, wasn't it? It wasn't that far away. That's not a good ball, and here's Gakpo, and here's Salah, he's got one. And the defenders are doing enough to make sure he's not gonna get two there. And eventually he's gonna end up with a corner. There was a chance there for a moment. Andrew Robertson will take the corner. And then they all go flying in, it's away by Zani Olup. That's Matip. That's Sabos Lai! It's a good set-up by Joel Matip, the ball comes across here, just lays it back for that lovely little first touch, it just sets it up really lovely on his left foot. Ever so slightly he snatches his iPad a little bit and pulls it. Not even at the races today for most of this game, have they? Liverpool have been good, but... Yeah, I think you've got to give a little bit of respect to Liverpool, because they have been good. Here go Liverpool again, and it's gonna break for Salah. And Martinez flings himself to get the ball away. Dominic Sabos Lai will take the corner. Lots of jostling and movement in and around the penalty area, Liverpool have deserved a fourth and they're looking for one here. Comes out to Elliott. Well, it does go wide via a deflection, Elliott ends up on the floor as well. Having been clattered into as he delivered the shot. Thinks about hitting it first time, he takes the touch, and that just allows the other player to get it, it's Diaby that gets the ball. If this is the new Liverpool, we like what we see, because that is near a perfect home performance from Jürgen Klopp's side, as you could wish to see. They were simply irresistible from the opening whistle.