The last weekend before the break for the UEFA Nations League matches in November ended with great news for Liverpool. Reds defeated Aston Villa and reached 28 points at the top of the Premier League, establishing a comfortable lead over second-placed Manchester City after 11 matches played.
Despite Aston Villa's insistence on occupying the attacking area and creating dangerous chances, Liverpool once again demonstrated their technical consistency with Arne Slot's tactical intelligence. The score opened in the 20th minute, in yet another play involving Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, which was crucial for Darwin Núñez to beat goalkeeper Martínez and confirm the Reds' technical superiority.
The opponent's offensive momentum was controlled when Liverpool focused on counter-attacks against a high press that made it difficult to play out from the back. However, Arne Slot adjusted the tactical formation in the second half, and Liverpool began to control the midfield effectively, with increased intensity in their marking thanks to the introductions of Gakpo and Szoboszlai. Villa were well-organized defensively, but Tielemans' error allowed Salah to score the winning goal in the 85th minute.
The main positive news from Liverpool's victory over Aston Villa
In addition to extending their lead at the top of the Premier League, Liverpool's victory over the weekend brought excellent news for Reds supporters. One of these was the outstanding performance of Caoimhín Kelleher, who made several very difficult saves, including chances from Onana and Diego Carlos, gaining increasing confidence to maintain his starting position when Alisson returns from injury.
Liverpool will be tested again with a challenging run of matches against Real Madrid (Champions League), Manchester City, and Newcastle upon the return from the International Break, but the fans are certainly confident in this early phase of Arne Slot's work with tactical variations and a great deal of intelligence in building victories.