Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
Follow all the action as Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield
There was no happy homecoming for Steven Gerrard, no “celebrating like a crazy devil,” no narratives feeding into future ambitions. The man he termed “100 per cent the best player in the world now” saw to that, firing in a low, hard penalty to further Liverpool’s title fight.
Mohamed Salah’s direct goal contribution ticked over to 14 consecutive league games, his 67th-minute winner deflating an Aston Villa side that departed without a shot on target.
The task was not to make it easy for Liverpool, but Gerrard’s men didn’t figure it would be this hard to conjure threat of their own.
The scoreline belied a story of enterprise versus total obstruction, with substitute Diogo Jota missing a glorious chance late on to make that more clear.
Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
57 mins: Save! De Gea to the rescue for Manchester United. Lindelof fails to properly clear a cross into the box and heads it to Pukki. He shifts away from the defender and rolls the ball onto his left foot before drilling a nice effort at goal. The shot is rising towards the top corner but De Gea sticks out a hand and tips it over the crossbar! Big save from the United goalkeeper.
Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
54 mins: Rashford and McTominay sandwich Giannoulis over on the left side of the pitch with the Norwich man taking a stray elbow to the face.
Rashford is then played into the box by Ronaldo but he loses possession to Aarons before he can shoot. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway as Rashford was miles offside when the ball was played up for him.
Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
51 mins: Fernandes fouls Giannoulis in the middle of the pitch but avoids a yellow card. The visitors win the ball back and Sancho attempts to feed Ronaldo in behind Sorensen but the young defender intercepts the ball. He knocks it to Rashford though and he continues the move. A couple of paces towards the box before sliding a pass in behind that Ronaldo doesn’t run for allowing Krul to collect.
Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
48 mins: Chance! Rupp wins the ball in Man Utd’s own box and works it out to Placheta on the right side. He combines with Aarons to get the ball into the box and then dribbles it around Maguire. Maguire almost fouls the forward and has to let him run. Placheta pokes a shot towards the near post but David De Gea has it covered.
Second half: Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
Kick off: Manchester United need to do better in this second half. Marcus Rashford gets the match back underway but United boot it out for a Norwich throw in. There’s also been no further changes in personnel.
Late Jorginho penalty snatches Chelsea win over Leeds in thriller
A modern twist on an old rivalry, to also revitalise Chelsea’s title challenge. Jorginho secured a 3-2 victory over Leeds United in stoppage time but only after three VAR interventions, a lot of ferocious challenges, constant back-and-forth between the players and supporters, a stoppage-time penalty and a big flare-up to finish.
Within all that, Thomas Tuchel – as well as the home supporters – surely had visions of a familiar Chelsea crisis, as they could have gone another game without a win to leave themselves four points behind Manchester City.
Late Jorginho penalty snatches Chelsea win over Leeds in thriller
Chelsea 3-2 Leeds: Joe Gelhardt looked to have earned a point for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, only for Mateusz Klich to foul Antonio Rudiger in the box to gift the Blues a penalty in stoppage time
Volatile Arsenal lurch to victory over sloppy Southampton
If ever a performance encapsulated Arsenal’s relentless craving for volatility, their victory over Southampton will serve as a gleaming example of how to conquer both ends of the spectrum.
After three defeats in four games had sucked the momentum out of Mikel Arteta’s interminable reboot, Arsenal’s manager began the weekend by publicly ostracising his captain and then spent much of the opening 20 minutes burying his face in his hands as his side reeled off errors like a wheel of fortune.
Volatile Arsenal lurch to victory over sloppy Southampton
Arsenal 3-0 Southampton: After a woeful start, Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to a comfortable win
Mohamed Salah strikes again as Liverpool beat Aston Villa to ruin Steven Gerrard’s homecoming
Earlier today there was no happy homecoming for Steven Gerrard, no “celebrating like a crazy devil”, no narratives feeding into future ambitions. The man he termed “100 per cent the best player in the world now” saw to that, firing in a low, hard penalty to further Liverpool’s title fight.
Mohamed Salah’s direct goal contribution ticked over to 14 consecutive league games, his 67th-minute winner deflating an Aston Villa side that departed without a shot on target.
Salah strikes again as Liverpool beat Aston Villa to ruin Steven Gerrard’s homecoming
Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa: Salah’s penalty settles the match to keep the Reds in touch at the top
Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
Nothing to separate the teams at half-time.
Half-time: Norwich 0 - 0 Man Utd
45+1 mins: There’s the half-time whistle. Manchester United were probably the better team but it’s a close run things. Norwich have played well, they’ve limited United’s chances on goal and have created a few of their own.
Dean Smith will be the happier of the two managers.
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