Aston Villa struck a major blow in the race for the Champions League by largely dominating Liverpool FC on Friday evening in the Premier League. More enterprising against the Reds diminished by the absences of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah, Unai Emery’s men took the advantage just before the break thanks to Morgan Rogers, served by Lucas Digne.
Despite Virgil van Dijk’s reduction, Aston Villa rallied in the second half with two goals from Ollie Watkins then a superb strike from John McGinn to make it 4-1. Only a double from Van Dijk allowed the Reds to avoid a major disappointment (4-2, 90th + 2). This success allows the Villans to secure their place in the Champions League, while Liverpool remain under pressure from Bournemouth in the fight for the top 4.
