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 1-3 Liverpool
90 mins: There’s going to be four minutes of added time to play. The sting has finally gone out of Aston Villa’s play, that third goal took all the momentum away from the home side.
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
87 mins: Liverpool’s bench isn’t the most experienced but the youngsters being introduced will gain massive value in playing the final minutes of games like this.
Ben Doak comes on to replace Darwin Nunez.
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
84 mins: Liverpool are heading for three consecutive victories for the first time this season. They needed to win tonight to ease the pressure of reaching the top four and despite some key injuries in the box they’ve got the job done as it stands.
Six minutes plus added time to play.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool (Bajcetic, 81’)⚽️
81 mins: Game over! The ball comes over the top once more for Darwin Nunez who dinks it into the box and follows the ball to the byline before pulling it back into the middle of the box.
The substitute Stefan Bajcetic collects the ball, takes it around Robin Olsen and guides his shot into the back of the net.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
80 mins: In the final 10 minutes now and there are another couple of changes from Jurgen Klopp. Stefan Bajcetic and Joe Gomez come on to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
78 mins: Ouch! Aston Villa come down the left wing before whipping a cross into the far side of the box where Leon Bailey flings himself towards the ball.
He misses it and Andy Robertson gets it clear but lands on the Villa forward who stays down and needs some medical treatment.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
75 mins: Close! Joel Matip wins the ball on the edge of his own box then pokes it up to Mo Salah. Salah looks up and flicks a brilliant ball over to Darwin Nunez who bombs past Ezri Konsa and drives up to the box.
Nunez tries to complete the ball with a shot across goal but laces his effort wide of the far post!
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
72 mins: Alisson comes off his line to punch a cross into the box as far away as possible. Ollie Watkins holds his ground but sticks out an arm to make things uncomfortable for the goalkeeper and the referee judges that to be a foul.
Free kick to Liverpool.
Arsenal vs West Ham confirmed line-ups
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah
West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Kehrer, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen; Antonio
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
68 mins: Liverpool need to take the sting out of Aston Villa’s play. They’ll preferably want to restore their two-goal advantage but will settle for a period of possession.
Ashley Young attempts to chest a cross back to Robin Olsen but gets his direction wrong and ends up putting the ball out of play.
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