Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s four-game winning run came to an end against Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday.

Dominik Szoboszlai fired the home side ahead after three minutes and the unfortunate Matty Cash scored an own goal when Darwin Núñez’s shot rebounded into his path with 22 minutes played.

The full-back saw a close-range header sensationally saved by Allison at the start of the second half before Mohamed Salah headed home a third for the Reds.

Unai Emery’s side now head into the international break before returning to Villa Park to take on Crystal Palace on Saturday, September 16.

The visiting Villans took to Anfield looking for a fifth straight win, but their hopes of doing so suffered an early blow when the hosts went ahead in the third minute.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s outswinging corner evaded everyone and bounced out of the box to the onrushing Szoboszlai, who struck a sweet first-time shot back across goal and in at the far post.

Villa responded and saw a number of promising moves breakdown before they shifted from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 formation after Diego Carlos was forced off through injury after 20 minutes.

However, shortly after the substitution they found themselves two down when Cash could do little else but put through his own net as Núñez’s vicious shot crashed off the post and into his path.

Leon Bailey, who replaced Carlos, injected more speed into Villa’s attacks, and they nearly capitalised on a counter-attack when John McGinn blasted over at the far post from Moussa Diaby’s lay-off.

The sides traded big chances in the time that remained in the first half as Bailey and Ollie Watkins conspired to miss the target from Lucas Digne’s cross before Núñez struck the crossbar from a tight angle.

Cash, who’d scored three times in his last two games, was denied another goal when his back post header was parried away by Alisson minutes after the restart.

The frenetic start to the second half then saw the hosts come within inches of extending their advantage as Núñez nodded Salah’s cross wide with the goal at his mercy.

However, the Reds didn’t have to wait long for their third of the afternoon as the Egyptian ghosted in at the back post to turn home Núñez’s flick on from a Liverpool corner.

Emery turned to Nicolò Zaniolo, Youri Tielemans and Jhon Duran as he looked to improve his side’s fortunes, and he saw McGinn and Pau Torres test Alisson with headers.

Colombian forward Duran sent two efforts wide in a lively cameo but couldn't pull one back as Villa lost out on Merseyside.