JR in Illinois writes: “What in fresh hell is going on on this planet right now? The world began going insane in 2016 with Leicester winning the Premier League followed by the Brexit vote followed by the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series for the first time in 108 years and finally the U.S. presidential election. With all that’s happening now it feels like the end of the world could be just about upon us.”
“I feel tired just reading the MBM,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. I feel pretty tired writing it, but it’s streets ahead of what I saw at the Emirates for entertainment today and an absolute joy to cover, I must say.
“Clearly this is the Reds trying very hard to prove that whatever Manchester United can do, Liverpool FC can do better,” says Peter Oh.
“Did Liverpool watch the United match and say, ‘gee, that looks like fun’. The world turned upside down,” offers Mary Waltz.
This has been incredible, or incredible by any other season’s standards. Adrian’s ricket kicked it all off; Watkins has scored a superb hat-trick and I do not exaggerate when I say the score could be 7-5 to Villa. Let’s all have a rest!
45+2 min: Martinez again does really well to save a fierce effort from Robinson, who perhaps should have scored. We all need a breather here.
45 min: Konsa clears a Robertson cross and I bet both teams would happily get in for half-time now.
44 min: Klopp looks as flummoxed as the rest of us. This has been like computer game football, basketball, whatever you want to call it. It’s been end-to-end madness and Villa are coming out well on top.
42 min: This could end up being any score, I really mean that. Can’t rule out Villa bagging more, on this evidence. But I also wouldn’t be discounting Liverpool yet – much as their defence has been all over the show.
This is insane. From the free-kick, Barkley’s delivery goes beyond the far post and is drilled across goal – I didn’t see by whom I’m afraid. Watkins is poised to flash in a header and, via a VAR check the offside, it stands!
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal. Photograph: Cath Ivill/AP
38 min: Van Dijk is booked for cleaning out Barkley as he drives into the Liverpool half. Barkley is playing really well, misses notwithstanding.
37 min: It’s an offside Liverpool wanted, in the run-up to that Barkley chance and the corner. But it would have been very tight. They simply played with fire.
The resulting corner is cleared, McGinn wallops in a volley with interest from fully 30 yards, it clips Van Dijk’s foot and sends Adrian the wrong way! Klopp is angry about something but Villa don’t care. What a game this is!
John McGinn of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
34 min: Barkley now gets away down the right and Adrian turns his angled effort behind. There has been a *ridiculous* number of chances here. And now ...
That is no big surprise, in fairness. Jota surges in from the left and, while Keita is crowded out from getting a shot away, the ball ricochets to Salah and his finish is lethal. Another rollercoaster game in this Premier League season!
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores his team’s first goal. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
32 min: Grealish, to Barkley, to a position very similar to the one the debutant missed from earlier. He’s under slightly more pressure, but it’s another good chance and he angles this one just wide!
29 min: Cash gets back to concede a corner after Robinson marauds anew. Alexander-Arnold has a shot in its aftermath but Villa block.
28 min: Villa’s early vim had abated before Watkins’ second and you started to wonder if they were sitting back too early. But that was lethal from the striker. Jota has another go now, floating one from 20 yards that Martinez – who is busy here – has to arch his back to tip over!
25 min: Jota lets fly from range but Martinez holds it. This isn’t over, that’s more than clear, but what a cushion Villa have given themselves. Watkins is electric.
What a goal! Watkins lays the ball back to Grealish and then receives the ball straight back, springing him clear down the left. The obvious choice seems a square across to Trezeguet, but he doesn’t do that – he cuts in and lasers an absolutely spectacular finish plum into the top corner. Well!
Aston Villa’s English striker Ollie Watkins scores their second goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AFP/Getty Images
21 min: Martinez vs Firmino continues, the keeper this time batting behind a drive from the left of the six-yard box after the forward had slalomed through. Liverpool are knocking at the door now.
19 min: Martinez gets away with one there though, making an Adrian-esque error with a sloppy pass out and being lucky to see Firmino delay his shot. Eventually Firmino tees up Keita, whose effort is blocked by a diving Douglas Luiz. Sometimes it is – or should be – OK to put your foot through it!
17 min: Liverpool wanted a penalty for a McGinn challenge on Salah in the aftermath of that chance, but VAR had a look and it’s nothing doing. I agree with that decision.
15 min: Martinez saves Villa now, standing strong to block from Firmino at an angle as he bursts through on the right. He is a very good goalkeeper. And this is a very good game so far.
14 min: Robertson gets to the line now, as Liverpool continue to show a few signs of life, and his drilled centre is cleared behind for a corner that comes to nought.
13 min: Salah looks for Firmino but Emi Martinez has his beady eyes on that.
11 min: Very difficult to see Villa in a relegation fight this season, and I’d have said that before this deeply impressive early spell. Pound for pound they have – ugh – “won the transfer window”.
Liverpool show for the first time now, Wijnaldum seeing a shot blocked and a corner being won. It’s cleared.
8 min: Big miss from Barkley! It really should be two, Grealish slipping in a totally untracked Barkley but the midfielder screwing wide from eight yards when clear. Liverpool are at sixes and sevens.
7 min: Jurgen Klopp did not give the impression, before the game, that Alisson will be back especially quickly. He’ll be looking at all kinds of miracle cures now.
A howler from Adrian, and Villa’s bright start pays off! It’s so poor from the stand-in keeper, who miscues a simple ball out for Gomez and lays it straight to Grealish on the left of the box. Grealish quickly finds a totally open Watkins to his right and the striker makes no mistake. What a start!
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa scores the opening goal. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images
Aston Villa’s English striker Ollie Watkins (L) celebrates after scoring. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AFP/Getty Images
3 min: Villa keep up the pace, Trezeguet doing well before Cash swings a cross over beyond Watkins and out.
2 min: Good start from Villa, Barkley just failing to play Watkins through and a little flurry of pressure ensuing.
The teams are out at Villa Park! This game might have a bit to live up to but I’m ruling out nothing ...
Dean Smith speaks on Barkley: “I had to look at him in training to see where his fitness levels were, but he’s a fit boy. Conor [Hourihane] has played really well but that is a different game, I felt Ross would offer some physicality. We’ve added a lot of quality this season, this has been a great market for us.”
Manchester United 1-6 (SIX) Spurs – you’ll be wanting Jamie Jackson’s match report:
Villa look much improved this season and Ezri Konsa has been a big part of it. Read all about their remodelling and Konsa’s excellence with the one and only Paul Doyle:
I have already been at The Football today. It’s wet out, I can tell you, not that one ought to complain. Because everyone’s a salesman nowadays, here is the on-whistle report from the Emirates:
Apparently a game just happened in Manchester. You may well want to read about it, especially if you are of a Liverpool persuasion.
So, a look at those teams. No Sadio Mane for Liverpool, of course, due to his Covid-19 diagnosis – Diogo Jota starts and is not a bad stand-in at all. Adrian has to step in, too, because of Alisson’s shoulder injury.
Can Villa capitalise? I think we all know anything is possible this season, at this point. Barkley starts. It looks a strong team to me.
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Barkley, Trezeguet, Watkins, Grealish
Subs: Davis, Nakamba, Traoré, El Ghazi, Steer, Hourihane, Ahmed Elmohamady
Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Jota
Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Henderson, Jones, Minamino, Origi, N. Williams.
Good evening!
This could be a tricky night for Liverpool against an Aston Villa team full of confidence and who can now call on Ross Barkley, a player keen to get a result against the Premier League champions.
Jurgen Klopp is certainly wary of the opposition.
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