Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Five things we learned as champions stutter to victory over visitors

Reds just about bounced back from a 4-0 defeat by Man City

Liverpool hosted Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday in the champions’ first outing since succumbing to a resounding 4-0 loss against Manchester City.

A lacklustre performance from the Premier League‘s top side looked set to hand Villa a crucial point in their battle for top-flight survival, but Sadio Mane dealt the visitors a cruel blow on 71 minutes when he slammed a strike off the underside of the bar and past former Red Pepe Reina.

That moment unlocked a more recognisable level of performance from the new champions in the closing stages, and they were able to grab a second goal through substitute Curtis Jones in the final seconds.

Here are five things we learned from Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa:

Klopp rotates – just not his defence

There were not wholesale changes for the Reds on Sunday, but club captain Jordan Henderson made way for Naby Keita in the starting line-up, while Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino missed out in favour of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi.

Jurgen Klopp put the rotation down to the number of quickfire fixtures facing all top-flight teams, and – in fairness – the changes did not seem to be a reaction to how comprehensively his players were beaten by City on Thursday. If that were the case, Klopp would not have left his backline untouched as he did at Anfield for Villa’s visit.

Origi, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain were all industrious on Sunday, but didn’t offer the sort of performances to suggest they’ll be favoured to the players they replaced in the weeks to come – even if Keita added a sharp assist. In fact, the three replaced players all came on at once after 60 minutes, and Liverpool looked much better due to their arrivals.

Liverpool’s gears grind

This was by no means a poor performance from the newly crowned champions, but against a much inferior team to the one they faced earlier this week, Liverpool failed to make the expected statement.

Villa set up behind the ball with Jack Grealish harrying Liverpool’s midfield, the visiting captain attempting to set up counter attacks at every opportunity. While it’s tough for any team to break down a desperate but disciplined side, the champions were surprisingly blunt in their attempts to carve an opening in the Villa defence. They only managed one shot on target in the first hour of play, and it wasn’t until their goal that they found a higher gear.

Sadio Mane in action against Aston Villa (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Klopp made a point of defending his players’ attitude following the City defeat, but the fact that attitude has not been the issue is not necessarily any less concerning; the lack of physical edge is.

Still, we’re talking about just two fixtures. While this point could be perceived as nit-picking, champions are always going to be subject to greater scrutiny.

Spirit only gets you so far

Upon the league’s resumption last month, Aston Villa looked like they might just defy the odds and climb all the way out of the drop zone from 19th in the table.

Draws with Sheffield United and Newcastle were solid enough results, while a narrow defeat against a talented Chelsea side was wholly understandable. Importantly, Dean Smith’s men were showing character in those outings and seemed to have a foundation to build upon, while fellow strugglers West Ham and Bournemouth seemed too fragile to find a point anywhere.

While Bournemouth have continued to look dire, however, West Ham have now followed a 3-2 upset of Chelsea with a draw at Newcastle to create some breathing space between them and the bottom three.

One desperate team in claret and blue has managed to add quality – going forward, at least – to their effort and energy, while the other still looks tame offensively. That difference between West Ham and Aston Villa might just be the difference between survival and relegation.

Grealish must start thinking about next destination

Jack Grealish will not be a Championship player next season, even if his current team-mates will be.

The Villa captain, still just 24, has been linked with possible moves to the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham. Truthfully, he is unlikely to drastically change the fortunes of either team – United seem to be finding some harmony at long last, anyway, and don’t look like needing him – but he could be a solid addition for a club like Everton or Wolves.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish challenges Liverpool’s Fabinho (left) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (AP)

Grealish is a competent, disciplined player with moments of inspiration in him, and he has developed useful leadership skills at a relatively young age. In order to continue developing, he must think about what his best-suited destination really is, and it is likely to be below the top tier.

There’s nothing wrong with that – certainly not at this stage of his career.

Big-game Origi out of big games

Divock Origi has become known over the last 12-plus months for his lethal touch in games of great magnitude. The thing is, with the Premier League title secured, there aren’t really any matches of that nature between Liverpool and the end of the term.

It’s unusual for a striker’s issue to be that they only tend to score in big games – as opposed to scoring against so-called ‘minnows’ and struggling in key matches versus top sides. Either way, what any elite side needs is a striker they can rely on, whether that player is their first of second choice.

Reliable is a word that can be applied to Timo Werner with little hesitation, and for a period of time the German seemed certain to end up at Anfield. He will instead don Chelsea’s blue at Stamford Bridge next season, however, in what still has to be viewed as a missed opportunity for Liverpool.

Liverpool must strengthen if they are to sustain their success, and with Werner taken, there aren’t too many clear, reliable alternatives out there as far as strikers go.