Liverpool secured their second Premier League away win on the bounce as they beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park on Boxing Day.
Here’s how we think each Liverpool player performed tonight:
Alisson Becker- 8/10
Yet another solid performance from the Brazilian between the sticks. Making multiple important saves the keep his side ahead and couldn’t do anything about Watkins’ goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold- 7/10
A good performance from Trent on his return to club action. His pass to Robertson for the Salah goal is another example of how talented of a footballer he really is. He could’ve arguably done better to close the space between himself and Matip for Watkins’ header but overall a good performance.
Joel Matip- 8.5/10
Matip put in a fantastic performance again today, both defensively and on the ball as he helped to progress the play from the back. His one-on-one defending was spot on and the only slight negative would be the same as Trent’s for Villa’s goal.
Virgil Van Dijk- 9/10 (Man of the Match)
After World Cup heartbreak with the Netherlands, some feared Van Dijk’s confidence could have been knocked, but it seemed the opposite. The Dutchman was colossal at the back and his goal to put the Reds two goals ahead only made his performance even more impressive.
Andy Robertson- 8/10
The Scotsman was constantly up and down the left hand side as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain naturally seemed to drift inside. Robertson’s assist for Salah’s goal made him the highest-assisting defender in Premier League history with a unbelievable 54 assists.
Fabinho- 7/10
The Brazilian has looked much better since returning from the World Cup. Constantly making crucial tackles and interceptions to cut out many Villa attacks before they really got going.
Jordan Henderson- 7/10
A solid performance from the skipper, nothing spectacular but he done the simple things really well.
Thiago Alcantara- 7.5/10
The Spaniard was very similar to Henderson in many ways but offered more grit and anticipation in the middle of the field.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain- 6/10
The makeshift winger had a decent game but struggled to match the rhythm and tempo of the game, which is expected after such a long time out injured.
Darwin Nunez- 7/10
The Uruguayan always seemed dangerous and sharp, but his end product let him down on multiple occasions once again. On another day he could’ve had three or four goals- but how many times have we said that about him this season?
Mohamed Salah- 8.5/10
A goal and an assist for the Egyptian King as he once again looked at his sharpest. In fairness, he wasn’t fully involved in the game but when he was he looked extremely dangerous.
Subs:
Stefan Bajcetic- 8/10
The Spaniard looked so composed and mature considering he was brought on in a high pressured situation. Took his goal really well and looked completely comfortable on the ball. We have a top talent on our hands.
Ben Doak- 7/10
Speaking of top talents, 17-year-old Ben Doak made his Premier League debut from the bench and didn’t look a single bit out of place. His pace and skill were clear to see and if he can improve his decision making he could be a serious player.
Harvey Elliott- 7/10
Elliott helped to keep the ball ticking over as well as helping Andy Robertson down the left hand side to help maintain the Reds’ lead.
Naby Keita- 6/10
The midfielder struggled to match the pace of the game in his first Premier League appearance of the season, but hopefully that will improve and he can prove to be an important player to Klopp in the second half of the season.
Joe Gomez- 7/10
After replacing Trent at full-back, Gomez didn’t really have much to do but I guess he did stabilise the back four that little bit more.