Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool

Aston Villa fell to a 3-1 Boxing Day reverse against Liverpool as head coach Unai Emery suffered his first Premier League defeat in charge.

It was a lively clash full of chances for both sides at Villa Park, with Mohamed Salah handing the visitors an early fifth-minute lead which was doubled by Virgil van Dijk before the break.

Ollie Watkins’ header just before the hour mark, his fourth goal of the season, deservedly gave the Villans hope.

But Liverpool substitute Stefan Bajcetic added a third for the Reds nine minutes from time to end Villa’s run of successive league victories under Emery, recorded before the break in domestic action 43 days ago.

The history books were not on Villa’s side heading into the encounter having lost eight of their last nine league meetings with Liverpool.

And having rounded off their final match of 2022 with a loss, they will be looking to start 2023 on the front foot when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day.

Robin Olsen was named in Villa’s starting XI for his second Premier League start for the club, coming in for Emi Martínez, who was not in the matchday 20 following his World Cup success with Argentina.

There was also a start for Ashley Young against the Reds, with Matty Cash named among the substitutes alongside Villa youngsters Filip Marschall and Kadan Young, who has impressed during the mid-season break.

Yet Villa found themselves behind after just four minutes as Salah slotted home Andy Robertson’s low pass from six yards after Trent Alexander-Arnold had recycled a corner.

Alisson denied Watkins, later flagged offside, and then thwarted Leon Bailey as Villa looked for a quick route back into an encounter that was flowing from end to end.

Bailey then mis-hit as chance from 10 yards before Watkins saw his close-range header kept out by Alisson, with the hosts creating plenty of openings to get back into the clash.

Olsen used his legs to keep out Darwin Nunez’s volley after he found himself clean through, before the Uruguay international was denied again by a combination of Olsen and Tyrone Mings.

However, the visitors doubled their lead from the resulting corner, Van Dijk’s strike at the back post finding its way through a sea of bodies, taking a slight deflection off Ezri Konsa.

There was still time for Olsen to deny Nunez again as he got a touch on Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick, with Villa 2-0 down at the break following a first half full of chances.

Watkins found the net within a minute of the restart only to be thwarted by the offside flag, before captain John McGinn spurned a clear-cut opening at the back post.

The opportunities continued to come and Salah ran from the halfway line before seeing his strike saved by Olsen, with the rebound deflecting off Douglas Luiz and against the base of a post.

Fabinho curled narrowly wide from distance before Bailey failed to connect with a golden chance inside the penalty area at the other end.

Yet Villa finally found the net just before the hour mark, Watkins heading home Luiz’s cross from six yards.

Nunez slotted off target when clean through with 15 minutes remaining before the visitors wrapped up the points, sub Bajcetic showing composure to find the net after Olsen had initially denied Nunez.