And breathe.
In a game that felt like a loss would have been catastrophic, Liverpool instead delivered their most convincing league performance in what felt like ages, securing a 2–0 victory over a Villa side that had won their previous four EPL matches heading into Saturday.
There is clearly still work to be done before the Reds can claim to be fully back, especially with two monumental fixtures against Real Madrid and Manchester City looming and league-leading Arsenal continuing their winning streak.
Nonetheless, the victory over Unai Emery’s side must come as a major relief to the Liverpool dressing room.
Now sitting in a solid position in the Premier League table and with the chance to reflect on what went so well against the Villains, what are the three key takeaways from this potentially season-turning triumph?
1. Squad cohesiveness goes a long way
Perhaps Arne Slot’s most difficult task this season has been integrating a wealth of new talent into the team, with the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez all competing for places in the starting XI.
Yet against Aston Villa, partly due to injuries, Slot turned instead to continuity, choosing nine players from last season’s title-winning run. The decision clearly paid off.
In fact, all nine title winners not only started but played the full 90 minutes; Liverpool’s lone substitution came when Hugo Ekitike made way for fellow newcomer Florian Wirtz—further emphasizing just how much Slot relied on his 2024–25 champions to see the match through to the end.
From the front three to the back four, the squad’s familiarity and cohesion shone through in a dominant performance from start to finish.
The Reds outpaced Villa not only on the scoresheet but across key metrics like possession (53%), shots on target (five to three), completed passes (375-259), and expected goals (1.30-0.32).
It was exactly the kind of display Slot’s men needed to restore confidence—both among supporters and within the squad itself.
In particular, Liverpool’s regular midfield trio from last season—Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch (whom we’ll spotlight shortly)—dominated the game against Villa.
Szoboszlai’s creativity (leading the team with three chances created), Mac Allister’s relentless energy, and Gravenberch’s defensive presence were all on full display against the Villains; watching all three thrive brought back memories of last season’s remarkable campaign.
Naturally, the flip side is that Slot will still be under pressure to find ways to get his high-profile new signings firing.
For now, however, the manager can rightly pat himself on the back for choosing a lineup that delivered arguably the most important result of the season so far, especially during a period when his team selections have come under intense scrutiny.
2. Mo Salah *might* be back
When the team news dropped, Mohamed Salah’s inclusion sparked the thought that this might be his last chance to prove he still deserves the consistent starting spot over Federico Chiesa amid a difficult run of form for the Egyptian King.
By the final whistle, though, Salah had emphatically reasserted himself.
Granted, his goal came as something of a gift after Emi Martínez carelessly played the ball into his path, but overall Salah looked back to his best—controlling the right flank and threading several incisive passes to set up his teammates.
A closer look at the numbers shows Salah directly addressing many of the criticisms that have followed him this season.
His ability to beat defenders—often questioned in recent weeks—was on full display with four successful dribbles.
Concerns about physicality were silenced by seven duels won, and his passing touch returned with an 80% completion rate. Altogether, it was the kind of performance that might just reignite his Player of the Season form.
It was also encouraging to see Salah pick up the slack for his wing-mate Cody Gakpo, just as Gakpo has done for him in recent weeks.
While Gakpo had enjoyed a strong scoring run over three consecutive matches, he was arguably Liverpool’s most subdued player against Villa, frequently straying offside and failing to make a significant impact. Salah, however, took it upon himself to generate danger from the wide areas.
And, it wouldn’t be a classic Mo Salah performance without a few milestones along the way. With his latest strike, he reached 250 goals for the club in all competitions and matched Wayne Rooney’s English record of 276 league goal contributions for a single team.
History seems to find Salah wherever he goes—and these latest accolades could be just what he needs to refocus and spark another blistering run of form.
3. Ryan Gravenberch’s return is just what the team needed
Liverpool’s last clean sheet before Saturday came on September 14 against struggling Burnley, and it hardly seems coincidental that the Reds kept a strong opponent goalless for the first time in nearly six weeks on the very day Ryan Gravenberch returned from injury.
With the Dutchman back in the fold, Liverpool’s defense produced its best performance in recent memory.
Aside from a Morgan Rogers effort that struck the post in the opening minutes, Villa rarely threatened and much of that stability stemmed from the presence of the Reds’ midfield maestro.
The No. 6 registered three successful tackles, four interceptions, and won six of eight duels against Villa, underlining just how crucial he is in disrupting the opposition’s attacks.
And if his already well-regarded defensive ability wasn’t enough, the Dutchman also delivered the ever-important second goal Liverpool desperately needed, bringing his season tally to three.
It’s truly been a pleasant surprise to see him find the net so often this campaign after failing to score in 2024–25.
What’s even more encouraging is that Gravenberch hasn’t just scored inconsequential goals—every time he’s found the net, it’s proved decisive.
His strikes against Newcastle (a 3-2 nail-biter), Everton (a tight 2-1 Derby win), and now Villa, have all contributed directly to victories, highlighting his knack for turning games in Liverpool’s favor.
Combining a key role in keeping a clean sheet with scoring a big goal makes him, in my view, more than deserving of Man of the Match honors.
Hopefully, his return to the squad will help ignite a sustained run of top-level defensive performances, particularly as the team prepares for a challenging stretch of fixtures.