EPL: Liverpool Regain Form, Defeat Aston Villa 2–0 at Anfield

Liverpool finally returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday, defeating Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield to end a run of four consecutive league defeats.

Mohamed Salah marked the occasion by scoring his 250th goal for the club, while Ryan Gravenberch sealed the victory with a deflected second-half strike.

The result lifted Arne Slot’s side to third place in the table and eased pressure on the Reds after a difficult spell that saw them suffer six defeats in seven games across all competitions, including a midweek 3-0 League Cup loss to Crystal Palace.

Early Scare for Liverpool

Liverpool almost fell behind early once again, continuing a worrying trend of conceding inside the opening 15 minutes during their recent poor run.

Morgan Rogers came closest for Villa when his long-range effort struck the post, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, standing in for the injured Alisson Becker kept Liverpool level with an excellent save to deny Matty Cash.

Despite a nervy start, the hosts began to find their rhythm. Dominik Szoboszlai dispossessed Pau Torres but wasted a clear chance, shooting straight at Emiliano Martinez.

A moment later, Hugo Ekitike had the ball in the net, but a VAR review ruled him offside.

Salah Punishes Villa Mistake

Just before half-time, Villa’s attempt to play out from the back proved costly. A poor pass from Martinez fell kindly for Salah, who calmly slotted home into an empty net to make it 1-0 and end Liverpool’s seven game streak of conceding first.

The Egyptian’s strike, his fifth goal of the season, reinforced his status as one of Liverpool’s all-time greats now trailing only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in the club’s scoring charts.

Gravenberch Doubles the Lead

After the interval, Liverpool took control of the match. Gravenberch, returning from an ankle injury, doubled the advantage when his shot deflected off Pau Torres, leaving Martinez wrong-footed.

The Dutch midfielder’s contribution capped a strong display in midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister.

Confidence Restored Ahead of Key Fixtures

Villa, who had arrived at Anfield level on points with Liverpool after four straight league wins including victories over Tottenham and Manchester City found it difficult to cope with the Reds’ renewed intensity.

The clean sheet, Liverpool’s first in 11 matches, provided further encouragement ahead of a crucial week, with Real Madrid visiting Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Manchester City next weekend.
With the win, Liverpool cut the gap to league leaders Arsenal to seven points, offering fresh hope in their bid to defend the Premier League title.