Mohamed Salah’s milestone helps Slot stop the rot

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The alarm bells finally stopped ringing at Anfield. Mohamed Salah is scoring again and Liverpool are back in the top three.

For arguably the first time since May, Liverpool resembled the champions in a dominant performance against Aston Villa. The damage of a grim October means the title defence remains in trouble as Arsenal march on, but at least Arne Slot can take comfort from the reassuring familiarity of a comfortable 2-0 victory.

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Salah scored his 250th goal for the club, accepting the warm embrace of Steven Gerrard at full-time. “That is huge, almost unbelievable if you score 250 goals for one club,” said Slot in tribute.

Landmarks aside, it was the Egyptian’s all-round performance that was most satisfying to him and his coach. “What I liked was he helped the team defensively as well, after the 1-0, he was helping Virgil around the halfway line,” Slot observed.

Aston Villa’s left back Lucas Digne was finally substituted as an act of mercy midway through the second half, terrorised like so many before him over the past eight years, although less frequently over the past eight weeks.

A thank you bouquet may also be dispatched from the Salah household to Villa keeper Emi Martinez, who provided the crucial assist in first half injury time. Unai Emery knows that was the turning point, not just of this match, but potentially Liverpool’s season if the worst is now behind them.

A vastly improved Liverpool had been ramping up the pressure, frustrated by squandered chances and a goal for Hugo Ekitike correctly ruled out. Martinez eased the tensions by inexplicably passing straight to Salah, who coolly slotted into an empty net. Liverpool’s goalscorer seemed almost apologetic when accepting the applause. A raucous Anfield played its part in ensuring their side never surrendered control.

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This was Salah, and Slot, going back to basics to issue a reminder that there has been a class side in hiding rather than in terminal decline.

The attackers worked in unison; the midfield was fully-functional and balanced; the full-backs, including the recalled and outstanding Andy Robertson, were back to resembling Duracell bunnies; and Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté looked worthy of being considered one of the Premier League’s best defensive pairings again. Slot’s side even kept a clean sheet.

At the heart of the advance was the midfield trio, which was the Premier League’s best last season. Fitness permitting, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch ought to be inseparable. Slot will correctly point out Mac Allister has been short of fitness in the opening weeks so he could never revert to the tried-and-tested formula of his title campaign. Even when he did so previously, Szoboszlai too often had to move to right back early in games. This time, Conor Bradley was exhibiting why he, too, is so highly-regarded by his club and country.

Ekitike aside, the outfield starters were similar to a year ago, Bradley having regularly deputised for Trent Alexander-Arnold. True, Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and the injured Alisson Becker were major influencers in Slot’s successful debut campaign. Yet this version of Liverpool looked tweaked, whereas in previous games it has looked radically redesigned.

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One of the biggest takeaways is that the experiment of using Florian Wirtz in the role Szoboszlai performed so effectively last season and on Saturday night must be over, at least until the German can match the physicality and athleticism of the Hungarian to make himself a like-for-like replacement.

Wirtz, who started on the bench, was eventually sent on as a false nine. Liverpool will need to rethink how best to utilise his talents as he adjusts to Premier League football. He could start by memorising Szoboszlai’s performance, although maybe edit out the moment when the midfielder squandered an early chance which he had made for himself when stealing possession from Pau Torres.

Liverpool purred with the No 8 performing a mean impression of his idol, Gerrard, who will have watched so admiringly.

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All over the pitch, this was a more aggressive Liverpool, the pressing and harrying more synchronised and consequently more effective.

It was rather like the eyes of each home attacker lit up – alongside those of 55,000 home fans – each time Martinez readied himself for a short pass to a centre-half. Such risky tactics have been rarely used against Slot recently.

Emery evidently calculated there was merit in trying to navigate past the red block. He would have felt justified had his side taken early chances, Morgan Rogers particularly prominent as he showed the will and talent to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool’s midfield.

Rogers struck the post after five minutes. Matty Cash was likewise denied, striking the crossbar via Giorgi Mamardashvili’s fingertips, as for all the home side’s visible improvement, those occasional defensive vulnerabilities remained in the early moments. Rogers tested Liverpool’s Georgian keeper again on 21 minutes as the match initially ebbed and flowed in a pattern familiar to so many of the champions’ encounters this season.

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That had changed by the time of Salah’s opener. Gravenberch doubled the lead after his 59th-minute shot from the edge of the penalty area benefited from a deflection off two Villa centre-backs, Torres and Ezri Konsa.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” the home crowd sang as they could finally hail another triumph.

Real Madrid head to Merseyside next. If Slot’s side wins that fixture, the last few weeks will be regarded as nothing more than a blip.

10:31pm

Virgil van Dijk post-match comments

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, speaking to TNT Sports post-match: “Even in the good times, you still have to keep going. What I’ve noticed in the last few weeks is that there’s been a lot of noise that you have no control over and you have to deal with as a team.

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“Some of the takes have been absolutely ridiculous, and that’s where you have to stick together as a team.

“We’re not going out there to lose games… we want to try work our socks off and win games, but it’s not a guarantee.

“It’s time to keep working, never get too high or get too low. We live in a world as footballers where everyone can have their opinion on so many platforms where everyone knows better, so we have to try stay away from that.”

10:21pm

Arne Slot post-match comments

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports post-match: “From start to finish, the players showed up. Although, in the last few games we’ve played, in the first five minutes we’ve always conceded. But I think the fans and the players felt this was the moment to show that we are still there.”

10:14pm

Salah greeted by club greats pitchside.

Mohamed Salah was greeted post-match pitch side by former Liverpool greats Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman, who are both on punditry duty for TNT Sports.

10:12pm

Where Salah ranks in Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorers

Mohamed Salah sits third in Liverpool’s list of all time top scorers. Here’s how the forward measures against the other names in that list.

10:07pm

Ooh la la, Kamara!

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara may have ended up on the losing side tonight, but the France international still had time to conjure an outrageous nutmeg on Florian Wirtz inside his own penalty area.

10:04pm

Mohamed Salah post-match comments

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, speaking to TNT Sports post-match: “This was a very important win for us, especially before we play Real Madrid and Man City.”

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Speaking on how the season has started: “I’ve played football for a long time, and I said this would be a tricky season, because we signed a lot of new players. They just need time to adapt and know each other’s game and I know that everything will be alright”

Speaking about getting his 250th Liverpool goal tonight: “[It’s a] great feeling to score goals and win trophies for this great club, and I don’t take anything for granted.”

09:57pm

Full time: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Liverpool are back to winning ways in the Premier League, earning a much-needed 2-0 home win against Villa.

A win and a first clean sheet in 11 games. Arne Slot could not have asked for much more ahead of massive games against Real Madrid and Man City over the next week.

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Villa, meanwhile have their winning run ended after four straight league victories.

09:56pm

90 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Four minutes of stoppage time announced at Anfield, as the Liverpool fans break out in song, first belting out “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before cheering on Arne Slot.

Meanwhile, Villa defender Tyrone Mings has trudged down the tunnel clutching his hamstring, bringing Villa down to 10 men for these final few minutes.

09:53pm

88 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Szoboszlai has just picked up a comical yellow card, and has sold Villa manager Unai Emery a dummy in the process.

The Hungary captain flicks the ball away from Emery, just as the Spaniard is about to pick up the ball.

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Both men receive a yellow for their troubles, but it’s Szoboszlai who has the last laugh from this exchange.

09:48pm

Dominant Dominik

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Dominik Szoboszlai has played in several positions tonight, from No6 through to the false-nine role, which saw Hugo Ekitike pull off to the left flank. He has been creative but has also added power to the midfield. 

Could he be the Trent Alexander-Arnold-type to make things happen for Liverpool? Trent is on the bench for Real Madrid tonight and will be back at Anfield in midweek for a Champions League tie.

09:45pm

82 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Less than 10 minutes left for Liverpool to hang on and clinch their a precious first Premier League win in five matches.

09:40pm

77 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Hugo Ekitike is now receiving a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd, after being withdrawn by manager Arne Slot with Florian Wirtz now on to replace him.

Moments before, Ekitike’s back heel led to left back Andy Robertson whipping in a threatening cross into the box, but opposing full back Ian Maatsen produced a timely intervention to head the ball away from the onrushing Salah.

09:38pm

A trio of Villa changes

Sancho, Mings and Maatsen are on for Watkins, Torres and Digne.

09:37pm

73 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Villa now have a corner, but midfielder Amadou Onana is walking a tight rope discipline-wise, pushing Alexis Mac Allister in the box who theatrically falls to the ground, which leads to Onana’s yellow card.

09:34pm

70 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Donyell Malen is now on for Aston Villa, and the Dutch attacker has just threatened the Liverpool goal, producing a well-struck effort from just outside the penalty area which narrowly flies outside the post.

09:31pm

67 minutes: Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Liverpool are firmly in control of this contest, while Villa still look they are reeling after conceding that second goal.

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The players are even affording themselves nice moments of skill, namely Szoboszlai with an terrific outside of the foot pass to Slah moments ago as well as some tidy footwork from Hugo Ekitike.

The champions look like they are getting their swagger back.

09:26pm

Gravenberch goal

09:25pm

Relief washes around Anfield

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Arne Slot and his staff form a huddle to celebrate the second goal. There is a sense of relief at that. Pau Torres is having a shocker of an evening. It was his slip for the Salah goal and now Gravenberch’s shot flew in off him.

Earlier Slot was not happy with Salah getting floored right by the technical area. The Liverpool manager let fourth-official Thomas Bramall know his feelings – and gave him a good send-off, judging by the withering looks the Sheffield ref was giving him.

09:22pm

GOAL! Liverpool 2 Villa 0

Liverpool have doubled their lead, and it’s the returning Gravenberch who has scored it via a deflection off Pau Torres.

The home side work the ball quickly through the middle of the pitch into the 23-year-old, whose shot outside the box takes a huge deflection off Torres that diverts the ball past Martinez.

09:20pm

57 minutes: Liverpool 1 Villa 0

Matty Cash picks up a cheap yellow card for dissent after Villa concede a foul in the middle of the pitch.

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Liverpool have found their feet in this second half, and look to be slowly playing with more confidence.

09:18pm

State of play in this second half

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Unai Emery has been pacing his technical area and clapping. He quite likes what he is seeing, with Villa trying to play out of defence and also counter-attacking quickly when they win the ball in midfield.

They have been close to getting into threatening positions. Most of Liverpool’s play has been going through Szoboszlai, who looks the most comfortable player on the ball on the pitch at the moment.

09:17pm

52 minutes: Liverpool 1 Villa 0

Even in spite of their costly error in the first half, Villa are still intent on playing out from the back inside their own penalty area, which is greeted by cheers by the home fans at the sight of Liverpool players flying forward to press.

Time will tell whether this proves wise this evening, but this is a risky game Unai Emery’s team are playing.

09:13pm

49 minutes: Liverpool 1 Villa 0

Salah supplies a gorgeous pass with his left foot in towards Cody Gakpo on the left flank, but the left winger fails to bring the ball under control and offside is eventually given.

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Shortly afterwards, Bradley charges down the right wing and fires in a low cross into the box but Villa midfielder Kamara is there to put in a timely interception.

09:10pm

46 minutes: Liverpool 1 Villa 0

We are back underway for the second half, with Liverpool pushing into Villa’s half in pursuit of their second goal.

09:06pm

Salah still some way from catching Lampard

Even though Salah has matched Rooney’s Premier League goal involvements at one club, he still has some way to go to level his former Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard’s total goal contributions.

08:57pm

Salah matches Rooney as most productive one-club man

08:56pm

Salah’s landmark goal

Here’s the clip of Salah’s 250th Liverpool goal, in which Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez had a significant involvement.

08:54pm

Half-time: Liverpool 1 Villa 0

Both teams are walking in for half time, as Liverpool take the lead just before the break, thanks to an almighty gift from Emi Martinez for Mo Salah’s 250th goal for the club.

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This has been a quite entertaining game with chances aplenty at both ends. One suspects there are still more goals left in this match..

08:49pm

GOAL! Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 0

Liverpool now have the lead through Salah just before half time, and this one will count.

Emi Martinez has just made an enormous mistake, misplacing a pass towards Pau Torres inside the penalty area but instead finding Salah who gratefully taps the ball into an empty net.

His 250th goal for Liverpool, and it’s hard to think any of them have been as easy as that one.

08:47pm

44 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Liverpool thought they had taken the lead with a brilliant Ekitike header from Szoboszlai’s fantastic cross from the right.

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However, VAR is on hand to disallow the goal as the France striker is found to have strayed offside.

08:43pm

39 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Liverpool have just had a very encouraging few minutes, gaining ground inside the Villa half.

The home fans are growing in voice, and the ball is being played towards Villa’s goal at rapid speed through the midfield.

But Villa have now won a free kick inside the Liverpool half as Morgan Rogers is brought down about 45 yards from goal.

In the end though, nothing comes of it as Cash strikes a very ambitious effort towards goal that goes harmlessly wide of goal.

08:37pm

33 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has produced a very sharp save to keep the score level, with the Argentina number one quickly dropping low to parry away Szoboszlai’s driven free-kick from just outside the penalty area.

08:35pm

32 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

The mighty derriere of Villa captain John McGinn nearly pays dividends for the visitors, as Conor Bradley bounces off the Scotsman on the right flank, leaving the 31-year-old with the opportunity to put in a dangerous cross but his cross fails to beat the first man.

08:31pm

25 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Villa forward Evann Guessand is proving a nuisance for Liverpool’s backline.

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The Ivory Coast international charges into the box and looks set to unleash a shot to trouble the Liverpool goal, but van Dijk and Robertson are both on hand to deny Guessand producing an effort.

Then, less a minute latere, Guessand is there once again to pluck the ball from Konate’s toes inside the Liverpool penalty area, but the home side are grateful that nothing comes out of this before Liverpool eventually win a foul to relieve the mounting pressure.

08:27pm

22 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Once again, chances are coming in quickly at both ends in this match.

Moments ago, Morgan Rogers fires a shot form outside the box that is parried away by Mamardashvili.

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Then, Szoboszlai bursts into the box and is one on one with goalkeeper Martinez but the Argentina number one is forced into a routine save as the ball rolls into his body.

08:24pm

18 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

This game has just exploded into life with chances coming at both ends.

First, Salah jinks past some Villa defenders and whips in a tantalising ball into Gakpo on the left flank, but Gakpo’s header across the box fails to find a teammate in red.

Then, less than a minute later, Villa excellently work their way up the pitch, and the ball reaches Matty Cash on the right flank, who unleashes a ferocious shot which is deflected but is heading towards the top corner before Mamardashvili produces a superb elastic save to stop the visitors going in front.

08:19pm

15 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Moments ago, Dominik Szoboszlai just fizzed a low drive towards goal from over 30 yards out, but the Liverpool number 8 sees his effort go wide.

08:17pm

14 mins: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Liverpool work the ball well down their right flank, as Conor Bradley races into the box but his low delivery fails to find a teammate in the box.

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To spare the Northern Irishman’s blushes, the flag is raised for offside.

08:12pm

Liverpool’s hollow centre

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Villa’s first attacks suggest they will be playing through the middle to put pressure on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

The Morgan Rogers chance that struck the post came from playing down the centre of the pitch, with the England forward finding space where Ryan Gravenberch should have been.

08:09pm

5 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Villa come mightily close to taking the lead after a lovely move, playing out well from the back before John McGinn slices through the Liverpool defence with a sumptuous through ball.

The ball finds its way to Morgan Rogers, who curls a beautiful strike from the edge of the box onto the right hand post.

Nervy times at Anfield for the home fans once again.

08:07pm

4 minutes: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

In these opening stages, most of the play has taken place in Villa’s half as Liverpool seek to apply early pressure.

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Almost all of the Liverpool players are past the halfway line.

08:04pm

1 minute: Liverpool 0 Villa 0

Already an early injury scare for Villa, as striker Ollie Watkins falls to the turf after colliding with Gravenberch seconds after kick off.

Thankfully, the England international is back on his feet and moving well.

08:02pm

Kick off

And we’re live!

08:01pm

Minute’s silence before the match

Both teams are stood around the centre circle, with the stadium falling silent for the minute’s silence to mark Liverpool’s final home league game before Remembrance Day.

07:59pm

Liverpool fans loud in the face of terrible results

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This has been an incredible run of results for Liverpool and if they lose tonight it will be the first time since 1926 they have lost seven out of eight in all competitions.

Yet the fans are showing nothing but support. It is an atmosphere like they were on a run of victories.

07:58pm

Milestone matches for Konsa and Digne

Aston Villa defenders Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne each celebrate special milestones tonight at Anfield, making their 250th and 150th appearances for the club, respectively.

07:55pm

Teams are in the tunnel

Both teams are in the tunnel at Anfield, about to walk out onto the pitch.

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Five minutes left until we get underway in Merseyside.

07:50pm

Arne Slot pre-match comments

07:49pm

Salah: (Nearly) 250 up for Liverpool

Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah starts against Aston Villa tonight, with the 33 year old’s performances this season still not hitting the heights of the previous campaign where he won the PFA Player of the Year, after a record 47 goal involvements (29 goals, 18 assists) in the league.

Should the Egypt international score his fourth league goal of the campaign tonight, this will be his 250th Liverpool goal since he joined the club back in June 2017.

Only two Liverpool players have scored more goals than Salah: Ian Rush (346), and Roger Hunt (285).

07:40pm

Cash Matty Hero

Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash has been in splendid form in recent weeks, as seen with his wonderful winner in the team’s 1-0 home win vs. Man City last weekend.

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The 28-year-old Poland international was named Villa’s Player of the Month for October, and was rewarded with a new contract extension until 2029.

07:33pm

Unai Emery pre-match comments

07:30pm

Some stats to whet your appetite

• Liverpool have won six of their last seven Premier League home games against Aston Villa (D1), having previously not won against them in four at Anfield (D2 L2).

• Aston Villa have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games against Liverpool (D3 L11), a 7-2 victory at Villa Park in October 2020.

• Liverpool are looking to avoid losing five consecutive league matches for the first time since September 1953 – they are the first side in English top-flight history to win their first five matches in a season but then lose each of their next four.

• Aston Villa could become the second side in top-flight history to win none of their first five games in a season then win five in a row, after Preston North End in 1936-37.

• Liverpool have lost their last four Premier League matches, with Leicester in 2016-17 the only reigning champions to lose five in a row. In top-flight history there has been seven occasions a reigning champion has lost five games in a row and three have been Liverpool (in 1906-07, 1923-24 and 1947-48).

• Liverpool’s opponents have played 571 long passes against them in the Premier League this season, the most any side have faced, while that works out as 20.5% of their opponents’ passes coming via long passes, also the highest percentage any side has faced.

07:18pm

Will Liverpool’s leakiness at the back haunt them once again?

If Liverpool are to address their worrying recent run of results, their defensive form will most likely need to improve immediately.

They have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their last 10 matches in all competitions, with just two clean sheets in their last 20 matches.

07:11pm

Gravenberch return gives Liverpool a boost

Ryan Gravenberch’s return to the Liverpool starting XI tonight will be a huge boost for the home side.

The 23-year-old Dutch internation has not featured for Liverpool since injuring his ankle in the team’s 2-1 home defeat against Man Utd last month.

Only Mohamed Salah (50) made more starts for Liverpool in all competitions last season than Gravenberch’s 49, in a campaign where the club claimed a joint-record 20th English top-flight title.

07:04pm

Slot thankful for fan support

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Arne Slot has used his programme notes to thank fans for sticking with the team on Wednesday when they were losing to Crystal Palace and “being totally honest it did not really feel like we would get back in the game.

“No-one needs me to tell them that our recent run of form has been tough. In simple terms, it has not been good enough for this club or for our supporters and the sooner we can turn things around the better,” Slot wrote.

07:01pm

Liverpool’s big-hitters back in the fold at Anfield

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The changes from the Brentford defeat last week is a better indicator of Slot’s thinking behind his team tonight.

Robertson has replaced Milos Kerkez, while Florian Wirtz is also on the bench for Liverpool. Ryan Gravenberch is back from injury after a three-game absence and is a like-for-like replacement for Curtis Jones who is sidelined.

Arne Slot has retained two players from the team defeated by Crystal Palace in midweek, with Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson keeping their places.

Slot defended his decision not to have any senior players on the bench for the Carabao Cup loss, and they all return here to face Aston Villa after a complete break for a week.

06:58pm

Players (and sympathy) in short supply for Slot

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Two keepers on the bench for Liverpool, which is either pointed, pointless, or both depending on your perspective.

Clearly Slot is emphasising his argument about the lack of depth in his squad, although as others have observed this week, if there is a shortage of numbers it may have made more sense to spend £240 million on five new players last summer rather than just two. 

The world’s smallest violin will be playing for Liverpool, despite their injury problems.

06:47pm

Aston Villa team news

Only one change for Villa from the team who beat Man City last weekend, with forward Evann Guessand coming into the team for the injured Emi Buendia.

06:46pm

Liverpool team news

Three changes made by manager Arne Slot from their 3-2 league defeat away at Brentford last Saturday.

Ryan Gravenberch comes back into the starting XI after returning from injury, with Robertson and Mac Allister also coming into the team as Jones, Kerkez and Wirtz all drop out of the team.

06:44pm

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06:36pm

Preview: Five is on the minds of Liverpool and Villa

Good evening and welcome to the Telegraph’s live coverage of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Aston Villa at Anfield.

Four straight Premier League defeats. Six losses in seven games in all competitions. These two statistics lay bare the extent to which Liverpool’s form has completely nosedived since their first defeat of the season away at Crystal Palace towards the end of September.

Quite simply, no Premier League team is on a longer losing streak than Liverpool are enduring at present. Manager Arne Slot has remained bullish about his squad’s quality, saying the team are missing “nothing” to turn around their fortunes, instead hinting how injuries and a disrupted pre-season for some of his players has in some ways impacted the reigning Premier League champions. 

Speaking at his pre-match conference on Friday, the Dutchman said: “I am completely happy with the team and all the quality we have. I am also completely convinced by the strategy and policy we have. That also makes the issue not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.”

Tonight’s opponents Aston Villa perhaps provide an example of how quickly the landscape can change in football. After failing to win in their opening five league games this campaign, Villa have won their last four top-flight matches, the most recent of which came in last Sunday’s 1-0 home victory against Manchester City.

Manager Unai Emery confessed in his pre-match press conference that he was very concerned at his team’s lacklustre start to the season, but he since has been delighted at how his team has raised their level since the start of October.

The 53-year old said, on Friday: “I was so worried. I transmitted to the players my worries and tried to get solutions. We were working hard to come back from the bad form we had.

“Progressively we are getting better. Now is the moment we have one problem if we are relaxing because we are performing better we can get confused.

“My worry now is to try to be very demanding and keep being consistent like we did the last matches we played. Tomorrow, if we want to be with the level Liverpool have, we have to be so, so demanding, clinical and focused in everything we have to do.”

This fixture promises to be a very interesting one: Two teams at either end of the spectrum form-wise meeting at Anfield tonight. Will Liverpool get back to winning ways and avoid a fifth successive top-flight defeat for the first time since 1953? Or will Aston Villa continue their fantastic form and secure their fifth straight league win, while claiming just their second Premier League victory against Liverpool in 16 matches?

Kick off is at 8pm, and team news will follow shortly.

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