By Martyn Herman , Reuters Liverpool opened a five-point lead at the top of the English Premier League after breakaway goals by Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah sealed a 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa. Manchester City's earlier 2-1 defeat at Brighton was the perfect pre-match tonic for Liverpool and Núñez's 20th minute strike following a lightning counter-attack set the tone at Anfield. Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made some vital saves to preserve his side's lead but Salah raced clear in the 84th minute to wrap up the points and maintain their sensational start to the season under new manager Arne Slot.
They have won 15 out of 17 games in all competitions since the Dutchman replaced Jürgen Klopp in the close season. Liverpool will head into the international break with 28 points from 11 games with reigning champions City on 23. Villa's third league defeat of the season leaves them down in eighth place with 18 points.
Slot saluted the ecstatic Anfield crowd at the fulltime whistle and they roared their approval as the post-Klopp era continues to defy even the most optimistic forecasts. After a relatively comfortable run of fixtures at the start of the season, Liverpool have now drawn away at Arsenal, beaten a dangerous Brighton, and thrashed Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. "We have players who are so fast on the counter-attack so it was good to see we scored two from them," Slot said.
"We are really happy that after such a difficult period most of our.
