Mohamed Salah was the hero as Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a victory over Aston Villa. Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Brighton gave the Reds a brilliant opportunity at Anfield - and they grabbed it to show their title credentials. With Salah in this kind of form, they will be heralded as favourites by many now.
Liverpool took the lead in the 20th minute when Darwin Nunez scored from a tight angle after rounding Emiliano Martinez on the counter-attack. Nunez could have made it 2-0 from another counter from a suicidal Aston Villa corner, but smashed over. Villa nearly equalised from two more corners, but Caoimhin Kelleher reacted well to push away headers from Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos.
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey were both forced off injured before the half-time whistle came. Morgan Rogers fired wide before Nunez planted a free header past the post as the two sides exchanged missed chances straight after the break. The second half died down massively thereafter, as both managers made changes, until Ezri Konsa slid in to thwart Liverpool on yet another counter-attack from a Villa corner.
Villa didn't learn their lesson and Salah made it 2-0 by beating Martinez at his near post in the 84th minute to spark jubilation in the stands. Here are the talking points from a brilliant night for the home side, who made it six clean sheets from 11 league games. 1.
Villa wide open As has become fa.