ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // In what looked like it might be a difficult fixture, Liverpool’s players put in the kind of complete performance against Aston Villa that inspires plenty of hope that silverware can return to Anfield this season.
Time will tell whether or not Jürgen Klopp has assembled a squad strong enough to properly compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title, but there was more positive evidence here that the Reds are going to be compelling viewing. Now with an energetic and impactful midfield and an attack worthy of any team in the world, the signs are excellent.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah either side of an own-goal from Matty Cash only told half the story: Liverpool was in complete control and dominant at all times. On and off the ball, its midfield, in particular, was excellent.
Here are the three moments Liverpool.com picked out from the Reds’ 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield which takes them to 10 points from 12 matches before the September international break..
The Good
Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez all deserve praise and that will no doubt come. Gomez has now put together back-to-back composed showings and if Virgil van Dijk’s ban is extended, he should be the man to keep the shirt.
Szoboszlai, though, produced a masterclass in how to play in this Liverpool midfield. He pressed, he scored, he created, and he was relentless. That midfield trio of the Hungarian, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones was completely dominant and that is what is required for the Reds to get into a proper groove. $76m (£61m/€70m) for the former RB Leipzig man will soon look like a bargain.
As long as each returns healthy from international duty, it will be hard for anyone to break that up. Ryan Gravenberch will have been watching with interest but the challenge he faces to steal a shirt from a starter is clear.
The Bad
Darwin Núñez didn’t quite manage to build on the momentum he had begun last weekend but it was a decent performance from the Uruguayan. He should have scored when he hit the post before the own-goal and with some more sensible movement, he could have destroyed Unai Emery’s slow high line — more on that to come in a second.
Not scoring was bad for him and he would have fancied his chances, but it remains to be seen whether or not he keeps his place against Wolves. There was nothing too shabby about his showing overall and he did his best to press from the front. Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota are not bad options to have, though, in reserve.
The Ugly
Aston Villa’s high line will work some weeks (against Everton and Burnley it has so far) but in the bigger games, it gives attackers of more quality far too much space to exploit.
In addition to some ugly defending from Pau Torres and co, Aston Villa attempted to play out from the back. Liverpool’s forwards are far too sharp for that, though. The pressing from Szoboszlai and the rest was exceptional. Klopp has often said that his favorite playmaker is the counter-press and now he has a team perfectly suited to do that expertly all over the field.
It was quite simply a complete performance — one that takes Liverpool to a very respectable 10 points from a possible 12 despite a tough opening four fixtures. That kind of relentless closing down is what is required to make this very attack-minded formation work and in Szoboszlai and Jones, Liverpool has the perfect number eights for the role.
