Liverpool are looking down on everyone

Arne Slot’s men clear another tough hurdle to head into the break top of the pile

Four nights after Luis Diaz, Arne Slot completed his own hat trick as Liverpool won a third consecutive home game in eight days to confirm their status at the top of the league. In an atmosphere reminiscent of those famous Anfield European nights, Aston Villa were put to the sword by Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, fortified by a ninth clean sheet in seventeen games.

This Saturday night special ignited before a ball had been kicked - on this pitch at least. Manchester City’s defeat at Brighton guaranteed that Liverpool would remain top of the pile going into the final international break of 2024, with the chance to extend their lead over everyone else to five points.

Villa will walk away from their fourth defeat on the bounce with regrets. They made the home side sweat before Salah's late effort brought the breathing space of a two-goal cushion, but couldn't convert the few real chances carved out of the granite in Liverpool’s defence.

Ollie Watkins became the latest striker to wilt in the face of Ibrahima Konate, on a mission to collect every man of the match award since missing out at Molineux.

Liverpool created a red prison around every player in white early on - winning the ball back with regularity. Villa, like every team to face Liverpool in the last month, stationed two men between Virgil Van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, trying to stem the young Dutchman’s influence on the game. 

His response was to make the difference at the other end of the pitch. All evening he was blocking shots, disrupting passing lanes and using his physical gifts and a growing positional intelligence to patrol the middle third with the authority of an Army officer. Elegant attacking flourishes may have characterised his stellar early form, but it’s displays like this that will cement his place as Fabinho's successor.

Aston Villa have more goals from set pieces than any team in the league this season, and all four of their first-half corners should have produced a goal - two for each side. In reality, it only happened the first time. 

A terrible delivery from the usually reliable Youri Tielemans fell to Van Dijk, who sent Salah careering towards goal, only to be hauled down by Leon Bailey. Incomprehensibly, referee David Coote didn’t give a foul and the requisite red card, but Darwin Nunez was alert to the situation. 

The Uruguayan latched onto the loose ball before rounding Emiliano Martinez and lashing home. Coote was clearly fearful of becoming the story by giving an early dismissal, but one suspects Slot would have chosen to have a numerical advantage on the scoresheet instead of the pitch.

Another corner, another Liverpool fast break. Again Salah was the catalyst, laying the ball off to Nunez with half of the pitch to himself. This time the result inspired groans, not cheers. Trying to find the top corner, he could only hit the second row of the Kop. It was the kind of moment that causes the familiar questions to rise over whether or not he can be Liverpool’s leading man. The chances missed will likely dominate conversations over the chance taken.

Nevertheless, the home side had that familiar scent in their nostrils. Just as they were poised to run riot, the optimism was punctured by a hamstring injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Slot couldn't elaborate on the seriousness of it post-match but expects him to be unavailable for England duty.

Regardless of a diminished attacking influence or the quality of Conor Bradley, his loss is unquestionably a blow. It will be more than those looking to drive narratives and make mischief who will hope the star right-back returns before Real Madrid come to town.

Suddenly, Villa corners produced chances for themselves rather than the opposition. Once again Caoimhim Kelleher responded perfectly when called into action. Amadou Onana's header was brilliantly tipped over, with Diego Carlos denied at point-blank range soon afterwards. Those two marvellous moments were almost undone by a rash decision to come for and completely miss a Tielemans cross. Silent prayers were answered when Lucas Digne found the side netting.

Villa had more efforts on goal in the first 45 minutes, but Arne Slot had the control he craved. His team had more of the ball and looked more dangerous with it; decisive, assertive and aggressive in the tackle to win the physical battle, always an important factor in beating Emery’s men. The final pass scuppered multiple promising moves.

The game almost slipped from their grasp as the second half began. Konate lost an aerial duel with Morgan Rogers, jarring his knee in the process. As he lay prone in pain, Rogers screwed his shot inexplicably wide. Nunez soon upped the ante on unforgivable misses. Diaz won another 50/50 battle in the penalty area before feeding Andrew Robertson, who teased in a cross begging to be planted into the net. Instead, the No.9 headed wide, sending 60,000 heads and 120,000 palms skyward. 

Set pieces continued to be the most potent weapon, as a basketball game broke out after a flurry of Villa corners. Salah for once fluffed his lines after another counter-attack, allowing Ezri Konsa to intercept his underweight through ball for Diaz. In the blink of an eye, Van Dijk was sliding in to steal a dangerous John McGinn centre from the toe of Duran on the edge of his six-yard box.

The clinching second goal had another fast break at its root. Salah intercepted a Carlos header, and unlike Nunez took advantage of having 50 yards to think about his finish. The Egyptian waited until he could feel the breath of Martinez before sitting him down and scooping the ball over his head. Villa weren’t helped by Pau Torres lying in a crumpled heap in the Liverpool penalty area as the move unfolded, adamant that Gravenberch’s challenge on him was worthy of a penalty. 

He had a stronger case 25 minutes earlier when Bradley tugged at his shirt, but the Northern Irishman was clearly watching his captain at Selhurst Park, as he too let go quickly enough for neither Coote nor Paul Tierney in the VAR booth to deem it an offence. 

Emery pulled a face when discussing VAR that suggests he has no faith in the current stable of English officials - a damning indictment in light of the controversial penalty given against them in Brugge midweek.

Salah was the tormentor-in-chief throughout, using his dribbling prowess to turn Digne inside out, splitting the Villa defence like a can opener with a buffet of delicious balls for his teammates. For the fifth time this season, he registered a goal and an assist, reaching double figures in both categories. Even if this new landmark doesn’t prompt another cryptic social media post, Slot knows he will have to continue answering questions about the future of his most valuable forward until he signs on the dotted line. 

Liverpool’s head coach will field them with a smile after navigating the much-discussed tough period with six wins and a draw in all competitions, gaining four points on Man City and at least six on Arsenal, ahead of their London derby with Chelsea. With clear daylight at the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables, the Dutchman will enjoy his break. He’s smart enough to know that nothing is won in November, but there can be no doubt that anyone with designs on the two big trophies will have to reckon with these resilient Reds.