Liverpool got off to a fast start on Boxing Day with Mohammed Salah and Virgil van Dijk scoring in the first half, but it was Stefan Bajcetic who delivered the knockout blow in the 81st minute to give the Reds an important 3-1 win at Villa Park over Aston Villa.
First Half
Liverpool got off to a flying start thanks to Mohamed Salah, scoring inside 5 minutes After a corner kick fell to Andy Robertson, he slid the ball to the Egyptian King for an easy finish. Liverpool's early marker did not mean that Aston Villa did not have plenty of chances. They forced Alison into a trio of saves and the keeper was to the challenge, keeping the Reds in front 1-0.
Liverpool appeared to have a second goal later in the half as Darwin Núñez put the ball in the back of the net, but the flag was raised. From that point, Liverpool was the better side as they kept constant pressure on the opposing goal. That pressure paid off in the 37th minute. After another corner kick, the ball took touches off of several players in the box, It eventually fell to van Dijk who scored from a tight angle to put Liverpool in the lead 2-0. Núñez nearly added to the advantage with a shot from point-blank range in stoppage time, but the save was made to leave the tally at 2-0.
Second Half
Aston Villa made a push to get back in the game in the second half. Ollie Watkins hit the back of the net in the 46th minute, but VAR overruled the goal due to offsides. John McGinn forced Alison into another save in the 49th minute.
With Aston Villa committing players forward, Salah nearly scored on a breakaway, but he slipped in the final third and was unable to finish. Watkins pulled a goal back in the 59th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Aston Villa kept pushing for the equalizer and while they had numerous quality chances, that aggressiveness was what led to Liverpool's final tally. Núñez hit on the counter-attack, forcing the keeper into a save. The ball was only cleared as far as Stefan Bajcetic. The youngster cooly finished in the back of an open net for his first Premier League goal and in the process gave the Reds a 3-1 lead in the 81st minute. A more defensive posture helped Liverpool see out the final few minutes and claim a huge 3 points.
Robertson Makes History
With his first-half assist, Andy Robertson now has the most helpers of any defender in Premier League history with 54. He nearly had a second but his assist on Núñez's potential marker was disallowed due to offsides.
“This was perfect for us Robertson said. “Our away form hasn't been good enough, but we got a big result vs Tottenham before the break and we backed that up tonight.”
6 For 6 For Salah
Thanks to his goal in the fifth minute, Salah has now scored in each of the last 6 matches he has played in vs. Aston Villa. It was also his 172nd career goal which ties him for 7th on the all-time Liverpool scoring list with Sir Kenny Daglish.
First Things First
When Stefan Bajcetic scored in the 81st minute the 18-year-old became the second youngest player of Spanish descent to score a Premier League goal behind Cesc Fàbregas who scored for Arsenal at age 17 in 2004.
LFC Globe Verdict
That was exactly the start to the second half of the season Liverpool was looking for. They looked in top form in the first and honestly should have been up 3 or 4-0 had Nunez fished his chances The squad had to endure some nervy moments in the second half, but Bajcetic's first EPL goal calmed all fears and the 3-1 win made supporters holiday season a little brighter.
There are plenty of choices here and that's a good thing, but I'm giving it to Andy Robertson. Not only did he make Premier League history with his assist, but he had several outlet passes in the second half that relieved the pressure and started Liverpool's counterattack.
What's Next
Liverpool returns home to Anfield on December 30th, hosting Leicester City at 20:00 GMT.
Goals
Liverpool
-Mohamed Salah 5'
-Virgil van Dijk 37'
- Stefan Bajcetic 81'
Aston Villa
-Ollie Watkins 59'
Substitutions
Liverpool
- Harvey Elliott for Alex Oxlade Chamberlain 67'
- Naby Keita for Thiago 67'
- Joe Gomez for Trent Alexander-Arnold 79'
- Stefan Bajcetic for Jordan Henderson 79'
- Ben Doak for Darwin Núñez 88'
Aston Villa
- Philippe Coutinho for Boubacar Kamara 85'
- Danny Ings for Emiliano Buendia 86'
- Leander Dendoncker for Leon Bailey 86'