Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Sensational Salah sends Reds 5 points clear of Man City at PL summit

Aston Villa arrived at Anfield, desperate to end their three-game losing streak.

They started strong but were caught off guard after 20 minutes when Liverpool broke forward quickly and Darwin Nunez capitalized on a loose ball to round Emiliano Martínez and score.

Villa pushed for an equalizer, with Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana forcing standout saves from Caoimhin Kelleher.

The visitors appealed for a penalty when Pau Torres was pulled down, but it wasn't given.

Liverpool sealed the win with another lightning-fast break. Mohamed Salah intercepted Diego Carlos' header and raced away to slot past Martínez, scoring his eighth goal in 10 meetings with Villa.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot continued his remarkable debut season in English football, securing his 9th win in 11 games.

The victory moved the Reds five points clear of Manchester City, who lost 2-1 to Brighton.