It wasn’t a vintage Liverpool performance, but there were sparks as they dispatched Aston Villa and put their foot back on the accelerator in pursuit of the top four.
Mohamed Salah struck, equalizing Kenny Dalglish’s goal for Liverpool in almost double time before Virgil van Dijk extended Liverpool’s lead in the first half. Villa deservedly responded through Ollie Watkins, but a composed finish from 18-year-old substitute Stefan Bajcetic for his first Liverpool goal left the former support stomping their version of a Christmas classic. “Merry Christmas, Everton!” they sang in celebration
Jürgen Klopp’s festive message to fans touched on a range of topics, from his admiration for Love Actually to the “crazy world we’re living in at the moment”, and from Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat in May: “Mr. Courtois had a pretty good day.” – to, most pertinently, move to “within striking distance” of the top four. In an entertaining 37 minutes here, they had taken on fourth-placed Tottenham, who they now sit five points behind with a game in hand.
This game was lively, sometimes so open it was silly, and occasionally slapstick, kind of like Wacky Races. Take, for example, the moment when Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, facing his own goal, hashed a clearance that soared into the sky. When the ball fell Darwin Núñez, tireless but erratic by the same measure, took aim but his shot went off the corner and without posing any danger to Robin Olsen, who replaced Emi Martínez, the Argentine goalkeeper who had become the first Villa player to win. the World Cup.
Klopp could only smile and shrug when asked for his thoughts on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role in the build-up to Salah’s opener. It came from an Andy Robertson corner, which was cleared to Alexander-Arnold about 40 yards from the Villa goal. The right-back allowed the ball to bounce, took a touch and used some residual effervescence to slot a delicious pass into the path of Robertson with the outside of his right boot. Robertson took the ball in stride and rolled it across goal with his first touch for the lurking Salah to slot in.
Mohamed Salah scores his 172nd goal for Liverpool. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Robertson’s clever thinking resulted in his 54th Premier League assist, eclipsing Leighton Baines’ record for a defender. For Salah, it was his 172nd goal for Liverpool, in his 277th appearance. Dalglish reached this mark in 515 games. “When you’re mentioned in the same sentence as Sir Kenny Dalglish, then you’ve done something right, so it’s a great moment,” Klopp said.
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Alexander-Arnold was the subject of much debate in the build-up to the World Cup, in which he played 33 minutes, and the England defender showed both sides of his game here. Liverpool had been unconvinced defensively and as the hour approached, Villa were finally rewarded for their persistence, even though they were 2-0 down by then.
It seemed fitting that in a game full of mistakes Villa’s goal came from another comical clearance. This time, Alexander-Arnold inadvertently hooked the ball across the pitch. The ball fell to the feet of John McGinn and found Douglas Luiz, who sent a cross into the box. Watkins darted between Alexander-Arnold and Joël Matip and directed his header into the far corner of Alisson’s goal. Klopp must have been afraid he was coming. Watkins had had a knock earlier in the second half, also from a Douglas Luiz pass, ruled offside.
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Until then Villa had their manager, Unai Emery, hopping and jumping on the touchline in frustration. Van Dijk had doubled Liverpool’s lead from another corner eight minutes before the break, and at the other end he did not miss a point from the vanguard. Watkins could not generate enough power with a diving header moments after Leon Bailey was agonizingly wrong from inside the box.
“I want to be very optimistic and I’m disappointed, a little bit angry, but I think the attitude of the players was incredible,” Emery said. “I want to be optimistic. We have to learn and add more things individually and tactically for the step forward that I want to take.”
Liverpool never felt the comfort of a two-goal cushion (their panic typified by Alisson slipping a clearance under little pressure) but they regained their lead with nine minutes of normal time to play. Núñez killed Joe Gomez’s volleyed pass with a superb first touch and drove a crazy shot at goal, which Olsen saved. The ball fell to Bajcetic, who calmly moved around the keeper, slotted the ball between Tyrone Mings and recorded a moment he won’t soon forget.
When Núñez was taken off by Ben Doak, a 17-year-old making his League debut with a couple of minutes to spare, there were high-fives from the Liverpool bench. It was a satisfying return to business.