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This is Mohammed Salah’s 250th goal liverpool A 2-0 win helped them stop the rot Aston Villa At Anfield.
The Reds came to the match with them Premier League The title defense is in trouble after four consecutive defeats amid a comprehensive run of six defeats in seven games in all competitions.
But Salah’s historic effort just before half-time, courtesy of a howler from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, and Ryan Gravenberch’s deflected effort after the break secured Liverpool’s first league win since September 20.
The performance was very much like the team that captured Premier League glory last season by keeping a first clean sheet in 11 matches and eased the pressure on boss Arne Slot, who is facing the first questions about his Anfield reign.
Salah was gifted his goal, presented with an empty net after a wicked Martínez pass, but went on to become the third Reds player to score 250 for the club, following in the footsteps of Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
Villa hit the post twice inside the opening 20 minutes and things might have been different if even one of those attempts had been made, but their four-match winning streak ended.
Given Liverpool’s recent performances, which were made worse by the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace in midweek, the early tension was palpable, with the Anfield crowd groaning at every errant pass.
Their mood almost soured in the fifth minute when Villa came within inches of taking the lead.
Morgan Rogers made a brilliant pass to Ollie Watkins and then raced up the field to take it back before firing a low effort onto a post in front of the Kop.
Villa hit the woodwork for the second time in 20 minutes.
Matty Cash’s cross took a deflection off Virgil van Dijk and was headed for the top corner until Giorgi Mamardashvili turned it onto the crossbar.
The irresistible Rodgers tested Mamardashvili after weaving past three players and shooting from distance.
Liverpool were lucky to equalise, but the tables started to turn and they should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute.
Boubacar Kamara caught napping on the ball Dominic SzoboszlaiJoe went through the goal but put his shot too close to Martínez.
The Argentinian denied the Liverpool midfielder again in the 32nd minute when he was well placed to stop the free-kick.
There was an explosion at Anfield just before half-time as Hugo Akitike scored with a header from 12 yards, but he was offside and VAR canceled the effort.
However, the celebrations turned surreal shortly afterwards, as Martínez made a huge mistake when he passed straight to Salah, who rolled into an empty net from just inside the penalty area for a historic goal.
Liverpool put the game away in the 58th minute when Gravenberch, returning from injury, headed towards goal and saw his shot deflect off Pau Torres and wrong-foot Martínez.
Villa, who had beaten Tottenham and Manchester City in their previous two games, were not able to cause as many problems as they did in the opening 20 minutes, with Ross Barkley missing his best chance to get back into the game late on.