Mohamed Salah Shines as Liverpool Extend Premier League Lead with 2-0 Win over Aston Villa

Mohamed Salah once again proved to be the difference as Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a crucial 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday night. Darwin Núñez opened the scoring in the first half before Salah sealed the win late on, further strengthening the Reds’ title credentials and handing new manager Arne Slot his 15th win in 17 matches across all competitions.

With Manchester City stumbling to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton earlier in the day, Liverpool seized the opportunity to extend their lead at the summit, with the result sending a clear message to their title rivals. Salah, who played a key role in both goals, continued his stellar form, marking his 10th assist and 10th goal of the season in all competitions.

The match was a hard-fought contest, with Villa’s threat on the counter highlighted by several dangerous moments in the first half. However, it was Liverpool who struck first with a devastating counter-attack. In the 20th minute, Virgil van Dijk sent a perfectly timed through-ball to Salah, who sprinted past Leon Bailey. Although Bailey fouled the Egyptian forward, the referee allowed play to continue, and Núñez pounced on the loose ball, rounding Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to score into the tightest of angles.

Núñez should have doubled Liverpool’s lead moments later, but his shot from another breakaway was blasted high over the bar. Aston Villa, for all their attacking intent, found themselves unable to capitalize on two excellent set-piece opportunities. Caoimhin Kelleher produced important saves to deny Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos from heading home Lucas Digne’s deliveries, ensuring Liverpool went into the break with their 1-0 lead intact.

In the second half, Villa pushed for an equalizer, but their efforts were often thwarted by poor finishing and Liverpool’s resolute defending. Morgan Rogers missed a golden opportunity shortly after the restart, firing wide from a promising position. Villa also had two penalty appeals waved away by referee David Coote, with the most notable one coming in the 55th minute when Conor Bradley was adjudged to have pulled Pau Torres’s shirt inside the penalty area. Villa manager Unai Emery, while accepting the referee’s decision, expressed his disagreement, saying it was “clearly a penalty” by European standards.

As the game wore on, Liverpool’s counter-attacks remained a constant threat. With just six minutes left, Salah made sure of all three points, seizing on a defensive error from Villa. Carlos’s attempt to clear a long ball from deep ricocheted off Salah, who expertly latched onto the rebound, leaving the Villa defense in his wake and finishing past Martínez to make it 2-0.

Salah’s performance was the highlight of the evening, and his two contributions were enough to extend Liverpool’s unbeaten run at Anfield. The victory, coupled with City’s defeat earlier in the day, has placed Liverpool firmly in control of the Premier League title race, with Slot’s men looking increasingly like genuine contenders.

“We know every week is a big one, but we have to keep this momentum going,” said Slot after the match. “We are trying to compete for everything – the league, the Champions League, and the cups – but we understand it’s a long season, and we need to stay at the top of our game.”

The result leaves Liverpool in an enviable position at the top of the table with 28 points, five ahead of second-placed Manchester City. With key fixtures ahead, including the return of European competition, the Reds will be looking to build on this dominant display as they head into the international break.