EPL
Player ratings as Salah strikes in Reds win
Goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic helped Liverpool hold off a comeback from Aston Villa and close the gap on the Champions League places to five points.
Salah finished off a flowing move before he set up Van Dijk following a set piece as the Reds threatened to run away with the contest.
Villa shook off their first-half blues to reduce the deficit as Ollie Watkins headed in just before the hour mark, but Jurgen Klopp’s side resisted the late pressure and made things easier with ten minutes remaining as substitute Bajcetic cooly finished to make it 3-1 just moments after his introduction.
A brilliant combination between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson saw the right back brilliantly pick out his colleague, who squared first time for Salah to knock in the opener from close range.
That Robertson cross took him clear of Leighton Baines as the most prolific assist provider in Premier League history, moving up to 54.
Villa did respond as Alisson batted away an effort from the offside Watkins, while Leon Bailey butchered one opportunity when excellently placed, shooting well wide off balance from 12 yards out.
A searching cross from John McGinn picked out Watkins, but the striker couldn’t connect properly with a diving header and Alisson easily collected. Joel Matip then had the ball in the back of the net from a Liverpool set piece, but the offside flag chalked off his excellent header.
A minute-period of madness saw the two sides scramble for possession before Darwin Nunez charged forward to volley a sliced Ezri Konsa clearance towards goal, but stand-in goalkeeper Robin Olsen made himself big enough to deal with it.
Liverpool continued to enjoy plenty of the ball and doubled their advantage as Villa failed to clear their lines. A corner bounced around the six-yard box before Salah picked out Van Dijk, who fired a clean shot on the angle into the bottom corner.
Villa almost halved the deficit early in the second half, though Watkins’ rattled finish into the far corner after some nice interplay was disallowed for offside. John McGinn was then picked out at the back post but couldn’t decide how to attack the ball, allowing Alisson to gather.
Unai Emery’s side continued to pepper Alisson’s goal with shots, though Salah nearly grabbed his second as he sprinted half of the pitch with the ball but miscued his final effort.
Their attacking intent was finally rewarded as Watkins brought them back into the game. Douglas Luiz whipped in a glorious cross from the right where the England international was waiting to head the ball back across Alisson to make it 2-1.
The home side’s pressure failed to tell and instead it was Liverpool who found the game’s fourth goal, one which sealed all three points. Nunez raced beyond Villa’s backline and forced Olsen into save which fell straight to Bajcetic, who kept his composure to slip his shot through Mings’ legs and in.
Liverpool remain sixth but reduced the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham, while Villa’s first league loss under Emery sees them down in 12th.
GK: Robin Olsen – 6/10 – In for absent Argentine Emiliano Martinez. Avoided any major scares and denied Liverpool on a number of occasions.
RB: Ashley Young – 6/10 – Struggled with Robertson’s rampaging runs but showed some attacking nous in the second half.
CB: Ezri Konsa – 4/10 – Looked pretty scared of Liverpool’s pace alongside Mings. Set up a Nunez chance with a huge sliced clearance that went towards his own goal.
CB: Tyrone Mings – 2/10 – The ball bounced off him before Van Dijk scored. Later got nutmegged by Bajcetic for Liverpool’s third. A really tough afternoon.
LB: Lucas Digne – 6/10 – Liverpool’s first goal came down Villa’s left, though Digne hadn’t recovered from the corner and Robertson was left free to cross. Showed creativity when he got forward, especially in the second half.
RM: John McGinn – 5/10 – Decent in defence but seemed to kill the momentum of a lot of Villa attacks.
CM: Boubacar Kamara – 5/10 – Did improve in the second half but largely overwhelmed.
CM: Douglas Luiz – 6/10 – Wonderful cross set up Watkins to get Villa back into the game. Improved second half but was too sluggish beforehand.
LM: Emiliano Buendia – 5/10 – Threatened to open up Liverpool\s defence on occasion, but the end product rarely came.
ST: Leon Bailey – 5/10 – Good opportunity to draw level but got his shot all wrong 12 yards out. Drifted out wide on occasion.
ST: Ollie Watkins – 7/10 – Scuffed a couple of very promising chances. Eventually took his chance, having also seen a crisp finish disallowed for offside.
Substitutes
Philippe Coutinho (86′ for Kamara) – N/A – Introduced far too late to make any kind of impact.
Danny Ings (86′ for Bailey) – N/A
Leander Dendoncker (86′ for Buendia) – N/A
Manager
Unai Emery – 4/10 – Waited until Liverpool had scored their third to make any substitutions. Inspired an improved second-half performance but won’t have been happy with their start.
GK: Alisson – 7/10 – Alert and confident in dealing with Villa’s attacking forays.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10 – Picked out Robertson wonderfully for the opener. Constantly kick-started Liverpool attacks during the first half. Looked more suspect when Villa turned up the pressure.
CB: Joel Matip – 7/10 – Constantly broke up play with a number of tackles. Withstood Villa’s second-half attacks with a series of clearances and interventions.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 8/10 – Lovely swing of the leg to put in Liverpool’s second via a slight Konza deflection. Led from the back alongside Matip.
LB: Andy Robertson – 8/10 – Lovely touch gave Salah one of his easier goals. Given some difficulty in defence but responded well.
CM: Jordan Henderson – 7/10 – Exploited space nicely on the right of Liverpool’s midfield.
CM: Fabinho – 6/10 – Couldn’t help Liverpool stop the tide of Villa attacks in the second half
CM: Thiago – 6/10 – Caught the eye with a couple of forward forays but got through more defensive work.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 9/10 – Simple task of knocking in Robertson’s cross to finish off a flowing Liverpool move. Teed up Van Dijk for the second. May have scored more on another day but still decided the contest with his output.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 4/10 – Charged around hilariously up front, sparking chaos and confusion in Villa’s defence. Definitely should have done better with his many, many, many chances in front of goal.
LW: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 5/10 – A first league start of the season. Drifted out of the game and was pretty wasteful in possession.
Substitutes
Naby Keita (67′ for Thiago) – 6/10 – Sent one potshot sailing over but helped Liverpool over the line.
Harvey Elliott (67′ for Oxlade-Chamberlain) – 6/10 – Showed a little more bit than Oxlade-Chamberlain but wasn’t overly involved on the ball.
Joe Gomez (79′ for Alexander-Arnold) – 6/10 – A more defensive introduction to see the game out.
Stefan Bajcetic (79′ for Henderson) – 7/10 – Waltzed through Villa’s box to convert on the follow up having just entered the field of play.
Ben Doak (88′ for Nunez) – N/A – On for his Premier League debut.
Manager
Jurgen Klopp – 7/10 – Liverpool conceded a fair amount of chances which would have frustrated Klopp, but their attacking play is just as vibrant as it was before the World Cup.
Player of the Match – Mohamed Salah
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is weighing up whether to sack manager Antonio Conte this week, 90min understands.
While Spurs remain fourth in the Premier League, limp exits in the FA Cup and Champions League threw the Italian’s future into doubt and his meltdown at Southampton plunged the club further into crisis.
90min revealed earlier on Monday Tottenham could be forced to pay Conte a whipping £15m if they dismiss him before the end of the season.
Now, sources have confirmed Conte is back in Italy for a routine trip to his homeland having held talks with Spurs boss Levy. A final decision has not yet been reached but a number of officials at the club believe Conte’s position is untenable.
Here at 90min towers, we’ve realised that there is always at least one Premier League club in relative crisis at any given time. In tribute, they are christened as the ‘crisis club of the week’.
But Tottenham Hotspur have crossed a line. You can’t keep continuously wrestling back the championship belt (you know, proverbially – we all know about the trophy drought). There must be a price to pay.
As such, we’ve had to dust off the old ‘who is to blame?’ gimmick instead. So, who really is to blame for Spurs’ current distress?
Blame rating: 0.1/10
Look at him. That big smile. Those big shoes. Those big wings.
He is everything wrong with Tottenham Hotspur.
Blame rating: 0.2/10
What’s worse than one big giant cockerel?
TWO big giant cockerels.
Blame rating: 0.5/10
It’s time to hop in the time machine. It’s time for some domino-effect interrogating.
Midway through the 2011/12 season, Tottenham had separated themselves from the top-four chasing pack and were within touching distance of Premier League title contenders Manchester City.
In a crunch game at the Etihad Stadium, Spurs fought back from two goals down to level it at 2-2. Mario Balotelli somehow escaped a red card for stamping on Scott Parker’s head, and would score a stoppage time penalty to seal a win for Man City and send Tottenham’s campaign into a tailspin.
That’s why they’re still stuck fighting for top-four finishes now.
Blame rating: 0.75/10
With Tottenham in the midst of that title fight, they recruited Ryan Nelsen and Louis Saha on free transfers on deadline day.
How do you think it went?
Blame rating: 1/10
But the person most at fault for such a collapse is Harry Redknapp. Or more specifically, his dog Rosie.
During a trial of two counts of cheating the public revenue, Redknapp explained to a court that he set up a Monaco bank account with Rosie’s name because he loved her so much.
All the while, Spurs’ season was going down the pan and he was flirting with the England job.
How could you do this, Rosie?
Blame rating: 1.5/10
At the end of Redknapp’s tenure, star midfielder Luka Modric was sold to Real Madrid, with Spurs announcing they had entered a special ‘partnership agreement’ with the Spanish giants.
Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid a year later.
Blame rating: 2/10
Though Juande Ramos is also Real Madrid alumni, his connection to Tottenham is for a very different reason.
He was the last manager to win a trophy with Spurs. Much better managers have followed in his wake and failed. What a lottery.
Blame rating: 2.1/10
Ramos won the cup, but that team spiritually belonged to Martin Jol. He’s just as culpable.
Blame rating: 2.5/10
Because you can’t blame who Spurs are and what they’re about without referencing Lasagna-gate 2006. I don’t want to go into it, though. Too painful.
Hometown glory. ????
Congratulations on the new album, @Adele! ???? pic.twitter.com/kKW0dWGJfY — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 19, 2021
Blame rating: 3/10
One of Tottenham’s most famous fans just happens to be someone who can also sell out Wembley – how are Spurs supposed to live with that pressure?
But speaking of Wembley…
Blame rating: 3.5/10
Tottenham had outgrown their old White Hart Lane stadium and had to move on. During construction of a new ground, they had to play at Wembley – a soulless stadium which was a nightmare to get to and from.
Spurs were unbeaten in their final season at White Hart Lane and lost their first game at Wembley. Go figure.
Blame rating: 4/10
Tottenham haven’t quite felt the benefits of their new home just yet. Why not? Why can’t a stadium play at wing-back?
Blame rating: 4.1/10
Among proposals for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were a cheese room as part of the club’s luxury offerings.
It did not make the final blueprints.
Blame rating: 4.5/10
Beavertown have a microbrewery inside the new stadium. They now run a pub where the old ticket office stood. I am the proud owner of Beavertown x Spurs merchandise.
They truly run the world.
Blame rating: 5/10
The NFL have a 10-year agreement to play matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There is a specific-use American football pitch underneath the soccer one.
It’s just not football anymore.
READ NEXT
Blame rating: 5.1/10
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium featured on an episode of Richard Hammond’s Big.
Did the club further need their ego stroked? No.
Is the episode any good? Oh yeah, really great. Rivalries aside, definitely go watch it.
Blame rating: 5.2/10
Do podcasters even say anything interesting? Anything noteworthy? Are they worth the hassle? Everyone’s got a bloody podcast these days.
Anyway, please subscribe to Oh What A Night, part of the 90min podcast network. Hosted by me.
Blame rating: 5.5/10
The referee who gave a handball against Moussa Sissoko 22 seconds into the only Champions League final Tottenham might ever play.
I hope you’re proud of yourself. You ruined it for everyone.
Blame rating: 5.6/10
Off the back of reaching that Champions League final, Spurs made an audacious move to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus.
He didn’t seem overly keen on the deal anyway, but a move fell apart on deadline day as Tottenham could not legally work their way around an issue with the forward’s image rights.
Great.
Blame rating: 6/10
Jose Mourinho was hired to get Tottenham over the line in their pursuit of a trophy.
He took the club backwards instead.
Blame rating: 6.1/10
Tottenham were handed a boost in their 2020/21 UEFA Europa League last 16 tie with Dinamo Zagreb when it was confirmed that manager Zoran Mamic had been sentenced to four years in prison.
Spurs managed to blow a two-goal lead and lost the second leg 3-0. Maybe if Mamic was let off the hook things would have been different.
Blame rating: 6.2/10
Off the back of that surprise elimination, the social media manager of Joe Hart – who spent just one season at Spurs – praised the result on the goalkeeper’s Instagram page, assuming that Tottenham wouldn’t have ballsed it up.
Hart issued a public apology for the incident, but the damage was done.
Blame rating: 6.5/10
This really was a time where bashing Tottenham was the lowest of hanging fruits. Even Dulux – who had become the club’s official paint supplier days earlier – posted tweets mocking their empty trophy cabinet.
Blame rating: 6.6/10
“Lads, it’s Tottenham.”
This utterance from Fergie set up a generation of Spurs jokes.
Blame rating: 6.7/10
Ah, the man behind the modern person’s Spurs proverb.
“It is in the history of the Tottenham.”
That’s another generation sorted.
Blame rating: 7/10
The best fried chicken in north London, why must you always tempt us back to N17?
Sources (Matt Le Tissier and David Cotterill) suggest the secret ingredient is Chirpy.
Blame rating: 7.5/10
Ok, I’m only being half-satirical with this list. 75% at a push. 100% if you think I’m a moron.
But there are genuinely Tottenham fans who think that Beyonce playing concerts at the stadium this summer is an awful thing which somehow ties to the club’s ambitions.
Blame rating: 8/10
Is it a good thing when your managing director of football could be banned from football for two-and-a-half years for financial irregularities?
Probably not.
Blame rating: 8.6/10
Antonio Conte was meant to be different. He was hired to get Tottenham over the line in their pursuit of a trophy. He took the club backwards inst- hey, didn’t I say this already?
Blame rating: 8.7/10
The unlikeliest of heroes, all things considered. 271 goals for Tottenham Hotspur, and by dumb modern-day logic, none of them mean anything.
What a sad little life, Harry.
Blame rating: 8.8/10
Well, Tactics Tim, you always wanted to take credit for Kane becoming one of the best players in the world.
Time to have your cake and eat it.
Blame rating: 9/10
Whooooo remembers ‘4th – Arsenal’ jokes?
No but seriously the Gunners have made the leap Spurs were supposed to and it’s causing misery down the other end of the Seven Sisters Road and I hate it.
Blame rating: 9.1/10
Lord Sugar was the owner of Tottenham during one of the worst stretches of their entire history. Nowadays, he just tweets discriminatory things and hosts The Apprentice.
Quite a brush for the club to be tarred with.
Blame rating: 9.5/10
Objectively and subjectively, Tottenham have made huge strides under Daniel Levy’s chairmanship.
They’ve also stagnated in recent years because of some really poor decisions and refusal to learn from mistakes.
Levy giveth, Levy taketh away.
Blame rating: 10/10
Here he is. The man who raised the bar, who made modern Tottenham Hotspur the club they are today.
It’s only right that he should be forced to return and sort out this mess. Who’s with me?
Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien is officially headed to Major League Soccer.
The player will join D.C. United on loan through July 16, though the contract contains a purchase option.
As reported previously by 90min, the two parties agreed to terms for the temporary stint after head coach Wayne Rooney convinced O’Brien of the project at D.C. United.
“Lewis has been one of the best players in the Championship over the last few seasons,” Rooney said in a release. “He reads the game well and creates goal-scoring opportunities. Bringing him in on loan from Nottingham Forest was a great bit of business for us and he will be a brilliant addition to our midfield.”
The player’s future was initially at risk when failing to secure a transfer to Championship high-fliers Blackburn Rovers on deadline day. Director of football Gregg Broughton revealed Rovers experienced “internal and external” reasons that led to late submission, and the club appealed the decision in the hope of the move being ratified.
But the EFL rejected the bid as Rovers had not submitted all of the required paperwork in time.
The unfortunate outcome left O’Brien unable to feature for the remainder of the season, after Forest did not name him in their 25-man Premier League squad for the second half of the campaign.
But Rooney stepped in with the chance at a new chapter with the Black and Red in Major League Soccer. O’Brien will now join D.C United with one goal in 17 appearances under his belt. He stands as D.C.’s third Premier League addition in the last six months after striker Christian Benteke arrived last summer from Crystal Palace and Mateusz Klich joined this winter from Leeds United.
Under Rooney, D.C. United has seen a decent start to the 2023 campaign with four points in four games and a 1W-1L-1D record. After concluding the 2022 season in last place of the Eastern Conference, the head coach hopes the new additions will propel the team out of the bottom and into the playoffs.
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