Liverpool go five points clear at EPL summit as Man City suffer another defeat

Mohamed Salah scored one and created another as Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 2-0 in their English Premier League (EPL) encounter at Anfield on Saturday.

The late kick-off encounter saw Liverpool score once in each half to get the better of a spirited Aston Villa side, thanks to an on-form Salah — in a match Liverpool showed their prowess on the counter.

Liverpool took the lead on 20 minutes through Darwin Nunez who finished off a swift counter-attack from an Aston Villa corner kick, slotting home Salah’s pass from a tight angle.

The home side required excellent saves from Caoimhin Kelleher, the backup goalkeeper who started in goal, to keep the lead going into the interval before Salah further punished Unai Emery’s side six minutes from the end. The Egyptian striker slotted in the ball to seal all three points with his fourth goal in four EPL matches.

While the results mean Aston Villa has succumbed to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, it ensured Liverpool established a five-point lead at the summit of the EPL table with 28 points from 11 matches, ahead of second-placed Manchester City who suffered another loss, a 2-1 defeat.

The latest defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side, this time to Brighton, is the EPL defending champions’ fourth consecutive loss in all competitions.

RESULTS

• Brentford 3-2 Bournemouth
• Crystal Palace 0-2 Fulham
• West Ham United 0-0 Everton
• Wolves 2-0 Southampton
• Brighton 2-1 Manchester City
• Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa