Liverpool 2–0 Aston Villa: Salah and Gravenberch Inspire Reds’ Return to Form

Liverpool finally returned to winning ways at Anfield, defeating Aston Villa 2–0 in a much-needed boost for Arne Slot’s struggling side. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch sealed the victory, ending a torrid run of six defeats across all competitions and marking the Reds’ first Premier League win since the Merseyside Derby.

After a cagey start in which Hugo Ekitike saw a header ruled out for offside following a fine cross from Dominik Szoboszlai Liverpool broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time.

A defensive lapse from Villa’s Argentine goalkeeper gifted Salah an open goal, and the Egyptian made no mistake, tapping home. The goal was a significant milestone: Salah’s 250th for Liverpool and his 276th Premier League goal involvement for the club, drawing him level with Wayne Rooney’s record for most goal contributions for a single Premier League side.

Ryan Gravenberch, back from an ankle injury, marked his return in style. Just before the hour mark, the Dutch midfielder doubled Liverpool’s advantage after collecting a neat pass from Alexis Mac Allister. His left-footed effort took a heavy deflection off Pau Torres, wrong-footing Emiliano Martínez and finding the bottom corner. It was Gravenberch’s third goal in his last ten appearances a timely reminder of his ability to drive play forward from midfield, something Liverpool have sorely missed during their recent struggles.

Despite Aston Villa’s improved form heading into the match, including last week’s win over Manchester City, Unai Emery’s side rarely troubled Alisson’s stand-in, Giorgi Mamardashvili their shots were consistently high and wide. This was Liverpool’s first clean sheet in ten matches, their last coming against Burnley.

For Arne Slot, this result provides a much-needed reprieve after mounting pressure and a string of poor performances. The win lifts Liverpool back into the top half of the Premier League table and restores confidence ahead of their looming clash with Real Madrid next week.

Villa, meanwhile, were unable to replicate their intensity from recent weeks and will rue missed opportunities. Emery’s side will need to quickly shake off this setback and prepare to face Bournemouth next Sunday.