Liverpool finally ended their four-game losing streak in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night. Mohamed Salah gave the hosts the lead just before half-time when he fed Emiliano Martinez with a routine pass from his own area.
Roughly 10 minutes after the break, Ryan Gravenbirch burst through the middle of the pitch and fired a left-handed shot from long range to extend the Reds’ lead to two points. With this victory, Liverpool moved to third place in the league standings, seven points behind first place Arsenal. However, their victory was not without setbacks, with the Premier League champions looking incredibly shaky from the start and conceding a number of chances that could have been costly had Villa been able to turn them around.
Here Express Sport analyzes how the slot players fared against Aston Villa on Saturday night with the help of our Liverpool Echo colleagues…
Giorgi Mamadashvili 7
Although they kept a clean sheet, they were not without some awkward moments, forcing saves from Matty Cash and Morgan Rogers. I felt more comfortable in the second half.
conor bradley 7
He had a tough fight against John McGinn, but his speed advantage saved him from some scrapes. He stood out in the second half with an incredible recovery tackle on Evan Gesand.
Virgil van Dijk 7
He thwarted Gesand with a good block and helped Liverpool move higher up the pitch. When Villa tried to claw his way back, he was covered as needed.
ibrahima konate 6
A slow start to the game and Liverpool’s sloppy defending inside the box almost gave Villa a chance. I didn’t miss a single step in the second 45 seconds.
andy robertson 7
Despite limited playing time this season, he is a reliable player. I tried to get upfield as much as possible and helped with set pieces. His performance may have once again curried favor with Coach Slott.
ryan graven birch 8
Covers the inside of the engine room energetically and abundantly. It also helped fill in the gaps that sometimes arise. An incredible effort to score Liverpool’s second goal of the game.
He showed why he was sidelined during injury with an energetic performance that covered a lot of ground in midfield and occasionally filled in the gaps. As a result of taking a shot aggressively, it missed the second shot.
Dominik Szoboszlai 9
Playing as a number 10, he pressed very well and was essential in moving the ball forward. The free kick was saved, but he should have scored after taking the ball from Pau Torres.
alexis mac allister 7
He is mobile and has a sharp touch on the ball. He also set up Grabenberch for Liverpool’s second goal.
Kodi Gakpo 7
After a tough start, it became clear that he had problems, especially when cutting inside. We kept possession of the ball as the game progressed.
mohamed salah 8
He dominated Lucas Digne in the first half, but there were times when he fell short due to poor touch or misjudgment. He scored Liverpool’s first goal and looked incredible in the second period.
Hugo Equitique 6
He got even better in the second half, but seemed to be off the pace of his teammates in the early stages, finishing in the 45th minute. It was a nice touch, but the goal was ruled out for offside. With subtitles.
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Florian Wirtz 6
I played as a false nine for the last 15 minutes or so.
