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It was a cathartic victory for Liverpool as a stoppage-time Trent Alexander-Arnold rocket helped secure the first win at Anfield in nine games, with Aston Villa going down 2-1.
Relief. That’s the word of the day for Liverpool.
Goals have not been in abundance on home soil, nor have victories, with the win over Tottenham back in mid-December the last, until Saturday when Villa were the visitors.
It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t have to be in the end.
A dramatic, yet uneventful opening half gave way to an Ollie Watkins opener before VAR ruled out Roberto Firmino‘s equaliser for an offside call that led to more questions about its application.
We’re with you, Bobby.
It left it all to do in the second half for Jurgen Klopp‘s men and, thankfully, they rose to the challenge thanks to the season’s leading goalscorer and one unlikely source.
Mohamed Salah netted the equaliser after brilliant work from Andy Robertson down the left, with the Scot helping the ball on its way as the No. 11 nodded home from close-range.
That’s 28 goals for Salah so far this campaign – already his second-highest season tally at Liverpool.
And while the game looked to have petered out, Trent had one more surprise up his sleeve in the form of a rocket from the left which riffled into the bottom corner.
Emiliano Martinez was only a spectator.
A kiss to the Liverpool crest and a run to the corner flag at the Kop end followed, and while no fans were able to greet him, his teammates ensured he was duly lauded for his winning strike.
And it was all smiles after the final whistle, with the win a much-needed one for confidence and morale as we head into the next clash with Real Madrid and the final seven league games.
It was the first win at Anfield in 2021 and that the monkey is off Liverpool’s backs will have come as a relief for the manager, players and fans alike.
Now, they will have four days to prepare for their bid to turn around their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, with a 3-1 deficit the task for Klopp’s men.
It’s time to make it two from two at Anfield, with the right scoreline, to secure a place in the semi-final.
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