Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa post-match reaction as Unai Emery's men display naivety at Anfield

National World - LocalTV

Post-match analysis from BirminghamWorld reporter Charlie Haffenden as Aston Villa lose 2-0 away at Liverpool in the Premier League courtesy of goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah.

Transcript

00:00Aston Villa have just suffered a two-nil defeat away at Liverpool in the Premier League.

00:05Title challenges Liverpool, of course, here at Anfield under the lights on a Saturday night.

00:09It was always going to be a very difficult game for Unai Emery's men, who for most parts of this

00:13game actually put up a good account for themselves. Quite competitive in most aspects after a bit of

00:18a shaky 15-minute start. They grew into the game, had a fair bit of possession, had the odd chance

00:23down the other end of the field, but naivety from set pieces is what cost them in the end.

00:29Attacking set pieces at that, having the advantage of being in the attacking third and

00:33coming up against Liverpool, not going to have many chances. So you'd think set pieces would

00:37be the way through and I think maybe Villa thought that would be the case. But in the end,

00:41naive to not leave enough defenders back. Liverpool knew that they could pounce every

00:45time they conceded a set piece and they did so and potentially could have scored three or four

00:49down that avenue. Darwin Nunez was the opening goal scorer here at Anfield,

00:53pouncing on one of those counter-attacks I mentioned. Mohamed Salah was sent through on

00:57goal by Virgil van Dijk, a long clearance over the top. Leon Bailey then tangled with Salah,

01:02potentially lucky not to get a red card for bringing down his man as the last man. Darwin

01:07Nunez picked up the ball, rounded Emiliano Martinez, who probably should have done better

01:11to anticipate that situation, and Nunez smashed it into the goal for 1-0 in the first half.

01:16There probably should have been a penalty for Ollie Watkins later in that half as he was

01:21tumbled over by Ibrahim Ikenate in the Liverpool box. David Koop did have a quick look at the

01:26referee and then VAR as well had a chance to take a second look because Trent Alexander-Arnold was

01:30down injured on the ground, but the officials decided it was best to play on. A controversial

01:35moment there and had that gone the other way maybe Villa could have had a very different result

01:39tonight. But in the second half, Villa did have a fair bit of possession and they tried their hardest

01:45to try and push on and get that equaliser. Went close on a couple of occasions, Morgan Rodgers

01:49missing a good opportunity and then another penalty shot for Paulo Torres in the area,

01:54but then Liverpool ruthless once again on the counter from another Villa set-piece,

02:00going down the other end, one long ball over the top. Diego Carlos failed to deal with it,

02:04heading straight at Mohamed Salah, who then ran through the entire Villa half before dinking it

02:09over Emiliano Martinez, making it 2-0 and securing all three points. I think that's just the way it

02:14goes when you come away to Liverpool. It's such a difficult atmosphere, especially under the lights

02:19on a Saturday night and I think as well just that naivety as I mentioned from the set-pieces.

02:25Had Villa left an extra man back, yes, they wouldn't have had such good opportunities from

02:29their set-pieces, but they would have been in defence better and potentially had they had their

02:33penalties awarded, they could have been the ones ahead. But as it is, it is a 2-0 defeat away at

02:39Liverpool. It's a fourth straight loss in all competitions, of course, losing to Crystal

02:43Palace in the Carabao Cup, losing to Club Bruges in the Champions League as well. Villa down to

02:48wait, but still so long to go. An international break as well to recoup some energy, then they go

02:53again and try and get back into that top four.

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