Liverpool vs Aston Villa was a fistfight of the “ no rake, no foul ” variety, with the exception of the Mohamed Salah-won and -converted penalty that gave the Reds a 1-0 win over returning hero Steven Gerrard ’ sulfur Villans at Anfield on Saturday. [ MORE: Gerrard reacts to loss at former home Anfield ]

Salah won a punishment off Tyrone Mings and VAR did not see enough to overturn it, a recurring subject on a night that could ’ ve seen Sadio Mane sent off and Danny Ings awarded a late penalty to possibly level the match. [ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ] Gerrard was cheered when he arrived to manage Villa and his players fight hard in front of star goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, but Liverpool was both vibrant and boggy. The misfire Reds produced a short ton of chances but needed the punishment to deny Gerrard a distributor point at his longtime home. WATCH FULL MATCH REPLAY The Reds keep accommodate of second stead on the Premier League table, a compass point ahead of Chelsea and one back of Man City, while Villa ’ s 19 points are good for 12th .

Liverpool vs Aston Villa final score, stats

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa Goals scored : salat 67′ ( punishment ) Shots : Liverpool 20-4 Aston Villa Shots on target : liverpool 5-0 Aston Villa possession : liverpool 63-47 Aston Villa

Three things we learned from Liverpool vs Aston Villa

1. Welcome(d) back, Steven Gerrard: Gerrard was warmly-received when he walked onto the Anfield pitch and his team ’ mho display will do small to dissuade Liverpool supporters who view him as an eventual Reds boss. Gerrard ’ s team is playing much like him — adept, decisive, fast, and more than a little cruddy. Tyrone Mings was terrific right astir until he gave away a penalty to Salah which, as we ’ ll detail in Thing No. 2, was a crafty call given the hatchets welcomed by the referee and VAR on the night. It ’ second difficult to disagree with Klopp that Gerrard will one day take the reins at Anfield. And Gerrard will probably know well that the home side at Anfield ( and many places ) much gets the benefit of the doubt. 2. Liverpool gets the calls (pretty much all of them):  Great teams sometimes get the benefit of the doubt, and Liverpool got about a six benefits of at least a six doubts in gaining a one-goal edge on its visitors. In a bet on where it was going to take an instantaneously punch in the face to see a bolshevik menu and several easy yellow cards were precisely fouls or not whistled at all, it ’ second storm that Mohamed Salah was able to win the penalty that basically won the crippled ( lone because the Reds ’ failed to finish plenty on the day, it must be said ).

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Salah puts his hands in the air the minute he felt contact, then played the opportunity to the anchor as Mings was a bit bungling in his challenge. But if it ’ s a punishment than so, besides, is Alisson Becker ’ s ungiven afoul on Danny Ings former in the game ( below ). Sadio Mane besides had a cruddy stamp on John McGinn go ungiven — the senegalese headliner looked to be brash and clever, but pulled off the act with proportional brilliance — and Villa fans feeling aggrieved will be well understand by neutrals .

3. Martinez shines: For a well as the underdog fight at Anfield, they needed a outstanding read from their goalkeeper to stay in the match, and Tyrone Mings was hard outside of his concede penalty as Villa blocked seven Liverpool shots. Martinez made four saves on a night that Liverpool was credited with four bad chances ( SofaScore ) and if we ’ rhenium not mistaken the penalty international relations and security network ’ thyroxine registered as a large chance. Sensational player .

Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold

We ’ re seeing it with Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, Joao Cancelo at Man City, and evening Reece James at Chelsea — if you ’ re a team with monomania against a team set up to stifle, a playmaking man on the right side is imperative in breaking down an opposition. “ TAA ” was everything needed and more for the Red. even when he wasn ’ thyroxine supplying Mohamed Salah, his activity created space for the egyptian on the right .

Emiliano Martinez is special

Keeping in mind that goalkeepers frequently need to see a draw of shots to be hailed as megastars, it ’ s difficult to see what Arsenal didn ’ thymine see in Emi Martinez. The Villa custodian has been one of the best in the Premier League and possibly the earth since moving to Villa Park, and he ’ randomness one of the key reasons that Liverpool needed to work so hard for their winnings .

Incisive Liverpool earns its goal

There is every argument in the world to be made that Mohamed Salah was looking for a penalty the moment he got 1v1 with Tyrone Mings. And disingenuous from the Egyptian or not, Villa ’ sulfur Mings gave the referee every reason to think it was a penalty. But don ’ triiodothyronine rest on the acute bid in the build-up, as Jordan Henderson is looking to pick out a intersect but cursorily sees his submission to Salah. The rest is history.

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