TOPS/FLOPS – Salah’s efficiency, Alexander-Arnold aesthetics or Nunez’s clumsiness: find our Tops and Flops of Liverpool’s victory at Aston Villa in the Premier League (1-3).
TOPS
Trent on his thirty-one
Who says Christmas says Boxing Day. And who says Boxing Day says gift. In the 5th minute of play, Trent Alexander-Arnold offered English football not a pass or a cross, but a caress. From the outside of the right foot, he took the Villans on the wrong foot and allowed Andrew Robertson to serve Mohamed Salah for the opener. The English side is also behind the second goal, from a corner (37th). Precious in ball circulation and pressing, despite still constraining defensive shortcomings.
Salah as a good leader
More than a month since he had played in an official match. Mohamed Salah was expected, and he did not disappoint. The Egyptian star opened the scoring for Liverpool, on the lookout for an ideal service from Andrew Robertson (5th). He turned into a decisive passer, leaving Virgil van Dijk, better positioned, to conclude in the area (37th). Still swift at the end of the match, he saw Darwin Nunez spoil one of his beautiful openings (75th).
FLOPS
Nunez as active as he is clumsy
It is a poison for the defenses. The problem is, it’s not poisonous. Darwin Nunez has multiplied the ball calls in the back of the purple defense, even if it means being often flagged offside. And when he wasn’t, he missed almost everything: a volley from the right repelled by Robin Olsen (28th), a shot blocked (36th), another missed six meters (45th + 2) or a face-off -face lost in front of Olsen (75th).
Sometimes slow, sometimes clumsy, Nunez, 23, belatedly saw his efforts rewarded. His powerful center-shot forced Olsen to push the ball back on Stefan Bajcetic, author of his first professional goal (81st). If he wet the jersey, the Uruguayan retains this chronic problem in front of goal. Which could have cost Liverpool dearly tonight.
The inconsistency of Aston Villa
How not to join Aston Villa and English football when we see their first 25 minutes of the match, or their first 15 in the 2nd period? Too bad for Unai Emery and his players that a football match is so long. The Villans had physical air holes that hampered their game plan, facing the sharper, more thorough Reds. The lack of realism in the first half did not help, leaving Liverpool in a dominant position throughout the game.
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