Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah secured a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. The Reds capitalised on Manchester City’s defeat at Brighton earlier in the day to pull further ahead of the reigning champions.
While Liverpool didn’t quite replicate their midweek 4-0 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen, manager Arne Slot’s team held strong defensively, marking their sixth clean sheet in 11 league games.
Slot, cautious about the challenges ahead, said, “We have a margin, but it is small. Many challenges to come for us.” Alexis Mac Allister echoed the sentiment, adding, “If we are top of the league by five points, then it means something.”
A quick start from Liverpool saw Nunez open the scoring after a long clearance from Virgil van Dijk caught Villa short at the back. Moments later, Salah added a second goal, securing his 10th of the season. Liverpool’s 15th win in 17 games under Slot positions them firmly in control of the title race, with City next to visit Anfield on December 1 after the international break.