Liverpool Stunned by Aston Villa, End Winless StreakLiverpool Stunned by Aston Villa, End Winless Streak Liverpool’s dismal form continued as they suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Friday night, ending their winless streak at seven matches. Villa took an early lead through Ollie Watkins, who latched onto a cross from Leon Bailey in the 13th minute. Liverpool struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah failing to make an impact. In the second half, Liverpool pushed for an equalizer but were repeatedly thwarted by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. However, they finally found a breakthrough in the 79th minute when Salah converted from the penalty spot after Watkins was adjudged to have fouled Andy Robertson. Just as it seemed Liverpool might salvage a point, Villa struck again in the 89th minute. Philippe Coutinho, a former Liverpool player, played a perfect ball for Keinan Davis, who coolly slotted past Alisson to secure the three points for the visitors. The defeat leaves Liverpool in seventh place in the Premier League table, drifting further away from the Champions League places. Manager Jurgen Klopp admitted after the game that his team’s performance was “not good enough.” “The players looked tired, we didn’t create enough chances, and we made too many mistakes,” Klopp said. “We have to take responsibility and improve.” For Aston Villa, the victory was a major boost in their fight against relegation. Manager Unai Emery praised his team’s defensive performance and their ability to take their chances. “We defended incredibly well and took our chances when they came,” Emery said. “This is a huge win for us and gives us confidence going forward.” Liverpool will now have to regroup quickly ahead of their Champions League knockout tie against Real Madrid next week. They will need to find their form and rediscover their winning ways if they want to have any chance of competing for major silverware this season.
