Aston Villa vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Stefan Bajcetic wraps up win
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put Liverpool in control but the Reds needed Bajcetic’s strike to seal the win after Ollie Watkins pulled one back
Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Monday thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic to go sixth in the Premier League during a game littered with chances.
Striker Salah tapped in the visitors’ opener in the fifth minute after a sublime passing move from marauding wing-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Defender van Dijk bagged Liverpool’s second in the 37th minute with a superb left-footed shot after being set up by Salah, who would have been proud of the finish.
Ollie Watkins put Villa back in the game with a smart 59th minute header across goalkeeper Alisson Becker, before 18-year-old midfielder Bajcetic squeezed in Liverpool’s third - his first senior goal - to secure the win in the 81st minute.
Goalscoring opportunities came aplenty for both teams as they peppered each other with high balls over the defences. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez was a nuisance throughout, missing a string of chances including a well-saved volley after he plucked the ball from high over his shoulder.
The result left Aston Villa in 12th place on 18 points, while Liverpool are on 25 points, one behind old rivals Manchester United in fifth but a daunting 12 behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who were playing later on Monday.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
26 mins: Douglas Luiz makes a driving run down the inside right and seemingly gets clipped by a Thiago Alcantara tackle. The referee lets play go on and Liverpool get caught trying to play out from the back.
Lucas Digne goes down inside the box after a tackle from Trent Alexander-Arnold but the Reds manage to clear their lines after the penalty shout is waved away.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
23 mins: Darwin Nunez gets his first proper chance at goal but it’s a tricky one. He drifts into space in the middle of the box and meets a cross from the left with a looping header that goes wide.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
20 mins: Disallowed goal! Liverpool win a free kick over on the left wing. Trent Alexander-Arnold performs the dummy run before Andy Robertson swings one into the box.
Joel Matip just starts his run too soon and strays offside before meeting the cross and nodding the ball into the far corner. The assistant referee wastes no time in raising the flag.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
17 mins: Chance! When will Villa take their chance? John McGinn receives the ball in space over on the right side of pitch and whips over a beautiful cross.
Ollie Watkins gets in behind the Liverpool centre-halfs once again and powers a diving header into the deck where the ball bounces up nicely for Alisson to cling onto the ball.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
14 mins: Chance! It should be 1-1! The ball comes up to Watkins who works it over to the left wing where Buendia chases the ball down and keeps it in play.
He curls a cross into the box but sends it behind Watkins who’s continued his run. Buendia picks out Leon Bailey though who completely fumbles a first time shot and skews the ball wide.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
11 mins: Mo Salah now has five goals in his five most recent appearances against Aston Villa. Will Liverpool’s talisman add to his tally before the game is done?
The Reds are controlling the tempo of the match. Passing it slowly in midfield before sprinting forward quickly from the wings.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
8 mins: Save! Ollie Watkins makes another fine run through the lines as John McGinn dinks a chipped pass over the top. Watkins controls the ball and forces a sharp save out of Alisson before the offside flag goes up.
This has been a perfect start for Liverpool despite a couple of good chances for the hosts.
Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool
4 mins: At the other end of the pitch Andy Robertson brings the ball down the wing before curling a pass into the penalty area. Darwin Nunez arrives but lets the ball run through towards Mo Salah.
Lucas Digne beats him to the ball and sends it behind for a corner shortly after Tyrone Mings and Robin Olsen collide with each other.
The centre-back lands awkwardly on his knee and needs some treatment.
Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool
3 mins: Chance! Liverpool lose the ball over on their left wing and it gets squirted over to Emiliano Buendia in the middle of the Reds’ final third.
Buendia flicks the ball over the top as Ollie Watkins forces his way in between Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip. The Villa forward shoots and forces a low stop out of Alisson Becker.
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