Liverpool continued Arne Slot’s dream start to his tenure with a confident 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night.

The Reds dominated early on, eventually capitalising as Mo Salah ran clear on the counter and Darwin Nunez collected the ball to fire past Emi Martinez.

Both sides had chances in the rest of the first half, with Villa forcing two great saves from Kelleher, though the first half ended with the home side ahead.

The second half was a far less eventful affair, with Liverpool dominating possesion but both sides finding it difficult to carve out clear-cut chances.

As Villa chased an equaliser, Salah chased a clearance and came off better, with the ball defelcting into his path to take him one-v-one by the halfway line. The Egyptian raced to the Villa box and calmly lifted a chip over Martinez to finish the match and take Liverpool back to the summit of the Premier League.

Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:

Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE

• Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0 to go five points clear atop the Premier League

• 20’ GOAL! Nunez opens the scoring from brilliant counter-attack [LIV 1-0 AST]

• 46’ CLOSE! Rogers fires wide when clean through [LIV 1-0 AST]

• 48’ CLOSE! Nunez heads wide from six yards [LIV 1-0 AST]

• 84’ GOAL! Salah makes it two with a deft finish [LIV 2-0 AST]

Liverpool FC 2 - 0 Aston Villa FC

Arne Slot’s Midas touch sends Liverpool five points clear at the top

22:29 , Chris Wilson

Top of the Champions League and now five points clear at the top of the Premier League, Arne Slot is the low-key appointment making Liverpoolhigh-flyers. A 15th win in 17 games cemented a spectacular start for the Dutchman. Now Manchester City find themselves in second but as close in points to eighth-place Aston Villa as they are to Liverpool.

And Villa have picked the wrong moment to emulate City. Normally it is an enviable achievement to be in the same form as Pep Guardiola’s side. Not now. Not when it means Villa, too, have suffered four consecutive defeats. Liverpool took one of the supposed strengths of Unai Emery’s side, set-pieces, and turned it into a weakness.

For the second successive game, Slot chose his striker wisely. It was Luis Diaz against Bayer Leverkusen, an unconventional choice that reaped a dividend when the Colombian delivered the first hat-trick of his career. He duly reverted to the left wing as Darwin Nunez came back to deliver the opener against Villa, with Mohamed Salah doubling the lead to underline how well he is playing. Right now, Slot is in the managerial sweet spot where whatever he tries seems to work. Liverpool, with 12 victories in 13, can testify as much.

Arne Slot’s Midas touch sends Liverpool five points clear at the top

Arne Slot: “It wasn’t easy"

22:20 , Chris Wilson

Arne Slot is understandably happy post-match, and he praises “the best numbers” from Salah as well as “the defensive run Diaz made”.

“It wasn’t easy, like [as with] most of our games. They were maybe not as aggressive as we thought, and we were patient, though sometimes I felt we weren’t patient enough.

“One thing they’re good at is set-pieces, but in general we had control of the game, and scored – which you might not expect – from two counter-attacks.

“I know it’s not the first time Liverpool score from breaks like that.

“Maybe in pressing, okay we were outplayed a few times, so we said we had to do this better.

“First of all, we’re really happy that most of our players stayed fit. We have to wait and see how trent is doing.

“If I look at the games that are ahead of us, again they are tough, so it’s going to be a tough season in general. Margins are small - okay, we have a margin, but as Mikel  said, they’ve had many difficult away games already.”

Mac Allister: “Very big win against a very good team"

22:10 , Chris Wilson

Alexis Mac Allister is first to speak to TNT Sports after the game, and he calls it a “very big win against a very good team”.

“We dominated, we played a good game. The goals came in counter-attacks, but overall the team played a very good game.

“We’re happy, as you said we’re top of the league, but there a still a a lot of games so we’ll take it step by step.

He adds that Liverpool “were watching” the City game, but “we’re not thinking about other teams, we’re just focusing on ourselves.

“Top of the league, five points ahead, it means something.

“We’re going to keep working and trying to get better.”

FULL-TIME! Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

22:03 , Chris Wilson

FULL-TIME! Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:56 , Chris Wilson

The referee brings the match to an end and Liverpool are back top of the league! The lead is now FIVE points over City.

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:55 , Chris Wilson

94 mins

Liverpool are keeping possession easily as they wind down the clock, and they’ll finish the week happy after another solid performance.

Arsenal need a win even more tomorrow.

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:54 , Chris Wilson

92 mins

Villa win a free-kick in a dangerous area, but the cross is easily collected by Kelleher, who’s put in another accomplished performance.

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:52 , Chris Wilson

90 mins

There’ll be four minutes of added time here, but this game is done. Liverpool will be returning to the top of the Premier League before the international break!

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:50 , Chris Wilson

88 mins

Villa come forward to try and get back into it and there’s pinball in the box before they win a corner, but the set-piece is collected by Kelleher.

GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa

21:47 , Chris Wilson

84 mins

GOAL! And the home side have wrapped it up!

Konate knocks it forward and Salah is chasing the ball, and the defender can only head it against the Egyptian. The header bounces off Salah and straight into his path, and he finds himself clean through near the halfway line!

He still has a lot to do – and a lot to think about – as he drives towards goal, but he’s as calm as you’d like as he waits for Martinez to dive before lifting a tidy finish over him.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:44 , Chris Wilson

84 mins

It’s Villa’s turn to enjoy some possession, but they can’t find the gaps in defence yet.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:43 , Chris Wilson

82 mins

Maatsen takes the corner short to McGinn and the Scot clip a lovely ball to the far post, which Philogene can only divert over with a looping shot.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:42 , Chris Wilson

81 mins

Konate heads clear for another corner – he obviously didn’t get a shout from Kelleher, who’d come out for it.

Maatsen wins a third corner, butmit’s easily cleared at the front post and Liverpool counter again.

It looks like a 3-v-3 or even a 3-v-2 for Liverpool, but some excellent defending from Konsa prevents Diaz from getting clean through.

Villa go up the other end and win another corner!

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:40 , Chris Wilson

79 mins

Diaz thinks he’s away but he’s penalised for a foul, and Villa will have a chance to get forwards. Rogers leads the counter and does very well to skip past one challenge and win a corner from Konate.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:38 , Chris Wilson

77 mins

Kamara is booked for stopping the counter and Liverpool have a free-kick 30-odd yards out. Robertson swings it in, but Villa manage to clear. They do mount a counter-attack but Philogene takes too much time and is dispossessed by Diaz.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:36 , Chris Wilson

76 mins

Szoboszlai does brilliantly to nip in and win the ball to start the counter, and he plays in a dangerous early cross that narrowly runs behind Gakpo!

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:35 , Chris Wilson

74 mins

Villa make two changes as Ian Maatsen and Boubacar Kamara replace Digne and Onana.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:33 , Chris Wilson

73 mins

The away side are really struggling to keep the ball at the moment here, with another attack coming to nothing despite good work from Onana.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:32 , Chris Wilson

72 mins

Gakpo has his first real opportunity since coming on as he latches onto a long ball, cuts inside and curls an effort over.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:32 , Chris Wilson

70 mins

McGinn concedes a cheap free-kick on the right after a silly foul on Bradley. Szoboszlai delivers it, and it runs to Gakpo at the far post, but he can only clip a cross into Martinez’s gloves.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:30 , Chris Wilson

68 mins

Van Dijk sends forward a long ball to Diaz, but the Colombian can’t make anything of it and hits a tame cross right to Martinez. However, Villa are forced to play long and Liverpool win it back within seconds.

That’s been the pattern of the second half so far, really.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:28 , Chris Wilson

66 mins

The game has lost some of its frenetic pace, but Liverpool will probably be happy about that. They’re dominating possession, and so far Villa have found no way through the defence, expect for from a couple of corners.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:26 , Chris Wilson

64 mins

Both sides make changes, with Nunez and Jones coming off for Liverpool and Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Jhon Duran replaces Watkins up front, while Bailey comes off for Jaden Philogene.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:25 , Chris Wilson

63 mins

Liverpool win a free-kick on the right wing, and it’s another chance to swing in a dangerous delivery. Mac Allister does just that, firing towards the back post, but Diaz heads over.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:22 , Chris Wilson

60 mins

A Liverpool attack breaks down as Salah is offside after a lovely chipped ball in from Mac Allister. The home side attack again right away, with some good play on the edge of the area ending in Nunez firing low at Martinez.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:19 , Chris Wilson

57 mins

Villa win a free-kick on the left wing, but Digne’s delivery only reaches the first man as Bradley clears. There’s a VAR check, as Bradley seemed to tug Torres to the ground, but nothing doing.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:16 , Chris Wilson

55 mins

Plenty of exchanges of possession here but neither side can capitalise at the moment. The home side have had 75 per cent of the second-half possession so far, so that gives you an idea of how long Villa have the ball for when they do win it back.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:14 , Chris Wilson

52 mins

Onana has been everywhere so far tonight, winning possession back on a number of occasions. Liverpool have been trying to push forward but they’ve been limited over the last couple of minutes.

Villa try and launch a counter but Bailey can’t get the shot away and he’s blocked off by a sea of red shirts in the box.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:11 , Chris Wilson

50 mins

Rogers tries to play in Watkins but a combination of Konate and Jones wins the ball back on the edge of the Liverpool box.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:09 , Chris Wilson

48 mins

CLOSE! Liverpool go close now as Diaz finds Robertson on the overlap. He delivers a brilliant cross to Nunez at the near post, but he can only power a header wide!

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:07 , Chris Wilson

46 mins

CLOSE!

Villa launch the ball forward and Konate can only head it to Rogers. The space opens up in front of him as Konate had fallen, and Rogers is 1-v-1, but he fires wide as he tried to curl into the far corner!

KICK-OFF! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:06 , Chris Wilson

Villa get the second half started!

HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:05 , Chris Wilson

Both teams are reemerging at Anfield.

HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

21:01 , Chris Wilson

It’s been a good half for the neutral, with Liverpool ahead thanks to a great counter, but the away side have had their chances too!

We’re in for a good second half an Anfield.

HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:57 , Chris Wilson

HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:52 , Chris Wilson

49 mins

HALF-TIME!

CLOSE! Liverpool mount another lightning-quick counter down the left wing, with Robertson slipping it on to Diaz, who sees his cross blocked, and that’s the last action of the half.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:49 , Chris Wilson

47 mins

John McGinn replaces Ramsey and the game restarts, with Tielemans quickly receiving a booking for dragging down Jones.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:47 , Chris Wilson

44 mins

From the corner, Gravenberch shanks over a speculative half-volley, but Liverpool have it back moments later. There’ll be three minutes of added time here.

Jacob Ramsey is down and he looks like he’ll have to come off – looks like a hamstring issue for the youngster.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:44 , Chris Wilson

42 mins

Liverpool are just trying to calm the game down a bit now as we head towards half-time, with the hosts happy to play it around their half. They do win a corner as they get forward though.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:43 , Chris Wilson

40 mins

Diaz’s squared pass is just behind and the Liverpool attack breaks down, but Konate recovers back near the Liverpool area.

The hosts come forward and Nunez fires a low shot straight at Martinez.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:41 , Chris Wilson

38 mins

Rogers wins a corner after forcing Robertson to block the cross. It’s swung in and Onana rises high to fire a header goalwards, but Kelleher produces a great save!

From the subsequent corner, Digne crosses it in and it’s glanced on by Carlos, and Kelleher is forced into another great save, with Gravenberch doing brilliantly to prevent the clean strike from the rebound.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:38 , Chris Wilson

35 mins

Rogers is booked for sliding in late on van Dijk.

Villa try and form an attack but they’re forced backwards once more, before Rogers tries to slip through a lovely ball to Ramsey, but the latter is forced off it by Bradley.

Moments later, Digne fizzes in a great ball that is missed by Watkins.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:35 , Chris Wilson

32 mins

CLOSE! The good and the bad of Darwin Nunez summed up so far today! The ball is cleared to Salah in a central area and there’s the entire half to run into as he threads a ball into Nunez’s path. The striker is one-on-one again and surges towards goal and opens up his body to place it, but he fires over!

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:33 , Chris Wilson

31 mins

Not a lot of action in the moments since the goal, though both sides have threatened at times. Villa win a corner after some good work from Rogers and Bailey.

It’ll be Digne to deliver the set-piece – it’s cleared again and there’s another counter...

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:31 , Chris Wilson

28 mins

Watkins produces some great hold-up play but there’s more good defending from Konate, who gets goal-side of Rogers to avert the danger.

Liverpool are enjoying plenty of possession at the moment.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:28 , Chris Wilson

26 mins

Plenty of counter-attacking from both sides, with the latest breaking down after Konate wins the foot race with Ramsey after a good through ball from Onana.

Liverpool almost carve out a great chance too, as Diaz spreads it wide to Salah, who clips in a great ball that narrowly goes over the head of Nunez at the back post.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:27 , Chris Wilson

24 mins

Alexander-Arnold is forced off and Conor Bradley replaces him.

Villa immediately have a chance as the ball falls to Watkins near the edge of the area, but he drags his effort wide of the far post.

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:25 , Chris Wilson

22 mins

There are brief shouts for a penalty for Villa as Konate goes shoulder-to-shoulder with Watkins, but the referee rightly waves it away.

There’s a brief break in play as Trent Alexander-Arnold needs treatment.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa

20:23 , Chris Wilson

20 mins

GOAL! The hosts are ahead after a scintillating counter-attack!

The corner is cleared and it comes to van Dijk just outside the area. Without even looking, he knows there’ll be options so he knocks it up field into the path of Salah. The Egyptian drives towards goal but is dragged down by Bailey – it looks like a certain red card but Nunez latches onto the loose ball, takes a touch past Martinez and fires in!

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:21 , Chris Wilson

19 mins

Martinez is up to his usual tricks already, and he can’t be far off a yellow card having wasted time at every goal kick so far.

Another Liverpool attack breaks down as Jones can’t latch on to a through ball.

Ramsey drives into the Liverpool half on the counter, but the away side are forced to recycle possession before Digne’s cross is headed away and Konate gives away a corner.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:18 , Chris Wilson

16 mins

Ramsey isn’t able to get past van Dijk on the edge of the box but Villa work a couple of crossing opportunities, with Tieleman’s cross getting through at the second attempt. Bailey is unmarked at the back post, but he can only direct his header well over.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:16 , Chris Wilson

15 mins

Konsa makes a great run to carry into the box but is then dispossessed too easily. Liverpool counter but it’s a little wasteful from Nunez, who opts to shoot but sees it blocked. No clear-cut chances from either side yet, but plenty of pace to the game!

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:15 , Chris Wilson

13 mins

There’s a large gap in the Liverpool defence as Digne’s run takes Konate away, and Ramsey has space to cut in, but there’s great tracking back from Gravenberch to block the shot.

The hosts come forward again but the ball gets away from Nunez.

A bright start from the home side, though Villa have had a half-chance too!

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:12 , Chris Wilson

11 mins

It’s certainly the home side who’ve started more confidently here, and there’s plenty of pace to their play when needed too.

Villa do mount their first attack though, as Rogers offloads it to Watkins before the England striker curls an effort over from outside the box. Never troubling Kelleher that one.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:10 , Chris Wilson

9 mins

Liverpool win a corner as Digne hooks away a through ball. Robertson swings it in but the home side are penalised for a foul in the area.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:09 , Chris Wilson

7 mins

Alexander-Arnold spreads a lovely diagonal to diaz in the box, and he takes it down well but sees his cross blocked.

Liverpool look very confident out here.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:08 , Chris Wilson

5 mins

Liverpool counter with so much pace as Alexander-Arnold slides it into the path of Salah, who has plenty of space but can only see his shot blocked.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:05 , Chris Wilson

3 mins

Salah thinks he’s being held but the referee doesn’t give it, and there are plenty of shouts as Villa win a free-kick instead. A raucous atmosphere at Anfield so far.

Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:03 , Chris Wilson

1 min

Plenty of noise early on at Anfield as Liverpool knock the ball around their defence.

Van Dijk spread it wide to Salah, who feeds in a great diagonal ball to Nunez, but the Uruguayan loses it under the challenge from Carlos.

KICK-OFF! Liverpool 0-0 Aston Villa

20:02 , Chris Wilson

The home side get us underway at Anfield!

Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE

19:57 , Chris Wilson

The two sides have emerged from the tunnel at Anfield, so we’ll be underway soon.

Liverpool could go five points ahead at the top of the table tonight, after Manchester City lost 2-1 to Brighton earlier tonight.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa LIVE

19:53 , Chris Wilson

Is Liverpool vs Aston Villa on TV tonight? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture

19:45 , Chris Wilson

With around 15 minutes until kick-off, here is a reminder of how you can watch tonight’s game.

Where can I watch it?

The match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with coverage having started at 7pm. Subscribers can also stream via the discovery+ app.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

Slot: Liverpool “not getting carried away"

19:40 , Chris Wilson

In his press conference, Arne Slot told the media that he is “not trying to manage expectations in the squad because we don’t talk about it.

“The only expectation I have is that they put in the effort every day and they have done that. Usually with that results come as well.”

He added that the squad are “not getting carried away by being top of the league”, though he hopes that fans can enjoy the situation.

As well as his comments on Curtis Jones, the Dutchman also commented on Luis Diaz’s upturn in form: “I have no clue why, but maybe it is because the team provides a lot of chances for these players. If they are in a promising situation, then they can score a goal,” he said.

Match facts

19:35 , Chris Wilson

Only Manchester City (32) have faced fewer shots on target than Liverpool in the Premier League this season (34), with the Reds also conceding the fewest goals (six) and having the lowest xG against figure this term (8.1).

Meanwhile, no player has been involved in more Premier League goals so far this season than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (12, with seven goals and five assists). The Egyptian has also had the most touches in the opposition box, with 96, while of players to have had 20+ shots, no-one has hit a higher percentage of them on target (67 per cent, or 20 out of 30.

Emery: Champions League is “the objective"

19:30 , Chris Wilson

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Unai Emery said that Villa are “enjoying the way we are doing”.

“Last year was a very successful season in the Premier League, getting to the Champions League. This year, the objective for us is to keep it.

“There are another seven teams that we have to be more intelligent than and more competitive. After last year, we were a surprise when we were getting the fourth position.

“We are a competitive team to be in the top seven, top five, top four.

“If we want to play in the Champions League or in Europe, if we want to be contenders for a trophy, we have to play three matches a week. If we are not able to play, focusing mentally and physically in this direction, we’re not going to get our objective,” he added.

“Tomorrow at Liverpool will be completely difficult, they are the favourites to beat us. They are the favourites to win the Premier League this season, now in front of [Manchester] City and Arsenal because they started very well.

“Of course we are motivated, we are excited as well and we are keeping balance.

“Hopefully on the field we can show our capacity to face them, competing and with the possibility to get points.”

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

19:20 , Chris Wilson

Having won just one of their six Premier League home games against Aston Villa between 2009 and 2014 (D2 L3), Liverpool have now won five of their last six at Anfield against the Villans (D1).

However, only Manchester United (12) and Chelsea (7) have won more Premier League away games against Liverpool than Aston Villa – they’ve won six, as have Arsenal.

19:15 , Chris Wilson

These two sides have met 181 times in the past, with the first meeting dating back as far as 1894. Liverpool have won 91, with Villa winning 52 and 38 ending as draws.

When the sides last met, towards the end of last season in mid-May, they played out a 3-3 draw at Villa Park, though Liverpool eased to a 3-0 win in this fixture last time out.

Arne Slot details reasons for excellent Curtis Jones form and what he must do next

19:10 , Chris Wilson

Curtis Jones continues to earn plaudits and positive reviews after a fine run of form with Liverpool which has resulted in him earning a call-up to Lee Carsley’s England squad.

Jones produced a virtuoso showing against Chelsea recently, winning a penalty and scoring the decisive goal, before further assists of late against Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen.

Arne Slot has praised him more than once of late and the Reds’ head coach was asked about Jones’ improved performances and what he had altered in the midfielder’s game to bring out his best form, replying several factors might have been at play - one of which was not down to himself in the slightest.

Slot details reasons for excellent Curtis Jones form and what he must do next

Team news

19:02 , Chris Wilson

Unai Emery has made two changes to the side that fell to a surprising 4-1 loss to Spurs last week.

In defence, Matty Cash comes out for Diego Carlos, with Ezri Konsa covering at right-back.

In midfield, Leon Bailey replaces John McGinn on the right-hand side.

Team news

18:55 , Chris Wilson

Arne Slot has made three changes to the side that beat Brighton 2-1 last weekend. In defence, Andy Robertson comes in for Kostas Tsimikas.

In midfield, Curtis Jones replaces Dominik Szoboszlai, with Luis Diaz coming in for Cody Gakpo.

Line-ups

18:47 , Chris Wilson

Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.

Subs: Jaros, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gomez, Gakpo, Quansah, Bradley, Morton.

Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Kamara, McGinn, Buendia, Philogene, Duran.

Liverpool’s historic start

18:40 , Mike Jones

Arne Slot has made the best start by any Premier League manager in history, with 14 wins from 16 competitive games in charge.

Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win as many as eight of his first 10 top-flight fixtures in charge of the club.

A dip in form

18:35 , Mike Jones

Aston Villa have equalled their longest losing streak under Unai Emery of three matches across all competitions. They could suffer consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time in 18 months.

Slot on Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold’s contract

18:30 , Mike Jones

One of the ongoing sagas concerning Liverpool is the contract negotiations with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk who are all out of contract next summer.

Arne Slot has repeatedly been asked if there are any updates on the discussions and he replied that they concern the players and sporting director Richard Hughes and would remain internal.

Slot said: “It would be strange if I have no input. In general contract situations are talked about by the people who should talk about them. I talk about this with Richard and that’s where it should be, not in front of a microphone.”

Home advantage

18:25 , Mike Jones

This is Liverpool’s 100th home game versus Aston Villa in all competitions. The Reds have won 62 times and lost only 17.

‘The biggest mistake I witnessed’: Unai Emery laments bizarre Tyrone Mings error in Aston Villa defeat

18:20 , Mike Jones

Unai Emery has said Tyrone Mings’ calamitous gaffe which condemned Aston Villa to Champions League defeat at Club Brugge was the biggest mistake he has witnessed in his managerial career.

The centre-back inexplicably picked up a short goal-kick by Emiliano Martinez without knowing referee Tobias Stieler had restarted the game.

Brugge captain Hans Vanaken converted the resulting 52nd-minute penalty to earn a 1-0 victory for the Belgian champions and end Villa’s three-game winning start to life in the Champions League.

‘The biggest mistake I witnessed’: Unai Emery laments bizarre Tyrone Mings error

Villa’s last win here was big

18:15 , Mike Jones

Aston Villa’s solitary victory in the last 13 Premier League meetings was by 7-2 at Villa Park in October 2020, with Ollie Watkins scoring a hat-trick.

But, Villa have only taken one point from six league visits to Anfield since a 1-0 win in September 2014.

Comeback kings

18:10 , Mike Jones

Last time out against Brighton, Liverpool came from behind to win for the 100th time in the Premier League, becoming the third club to reach that milestone.

Head to head

18:05 , Mike Jones

Liverpool have won more league games (94) and amassed more league points versus Aston Villa (324), converting to three points for a win, than they have against any other club.

The Reds have lost only five of the last 39 league meetings between the sides both home and away.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot explains left-back battle between Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson

18:00 , Mike Jones

Arne Slot could hardly have wished for anything more from the first four months or so of his time at Liverpool but the fixtures keep coming fast and thick for the Reds, with Aston Villa next up at the weekend in the Premier League.

That is the final match before the upcoming international break and Slot will be hoping for a fourth straight victory in all competitions, which would make it six wins and one draw across a run of games many saw as being a big test of the team’s title credentials after a perceived easier run at the start of the campaign.

Slot has made sure to tweak his team for games to keep his squad fresh of late, with midweek seeing Liverpool hammer Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League after a couple of such changes, including Luis Diaz playing at centre-forward - where he scored twice from and netted three times on the night in total.

Slot gives verdict on key battle for position at Liverpool

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

17:55 , Mike Jones

Having won just one of their six Premier League home games against Aston Villa between 2009 and 2014 (two draws, three defeats), Liverpool have now won five of their last six at Anfield against the Villans (one draw).

Will they add to that tally tonight?

‘Villa will be tough’ says Van Dijk

17:50 , Mike Jones

The Liverpool captain explained what he is expecting from today’s game and claims playing against Unai Emery’s side will be ‘tough’.

In his programme notes column he wrote: “It is hard not to be impressed by what Villa have achieved under Unai Emery in the last couple of seasons. They are one of the strongest teams in the Premier League and have enjoyed a really good start to their Champions League campaign too. Their collective organisation, combined with their individual quality, makes them a really tough opponent for anybody.

“We need to be at our best to beat them, then. We knew that this block of fixtures was going to be really difficult – and we have another equally tough set coming up – so if we could head into the final international break of the year with another three points in the bag, we would be extremely satisfied.”

Slot issues Jota injury update

17:45 , Mike Jones

Diogo Jota sustained an issue during the 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield last month and has subsequently missed Liverpool’s last five games.

He will be absent when the Reds host Aston Villa on Saturday night but manager Arne Slot provided an update saying Jota could be available again in a matter of weeks.

“We expect him back after the international break… the first weeks after the international break we expect him back.”

On the nature of Jota’s injury, Slot added: “I always say in Holland there is privacy about this and I don’t know how it is over here. Like I just said, he will be back one or two weeks after the international break.”

Van Dijk wants to head into break with a win

17:40 , Mike Jones

Virgil van Dijk wants Liverpool to head into the international break having won all three of their testing fixtures over the last week. The Reds have triumphed in clashes with Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen ahead of tonight’s match against Villa.

Writing in the programme notes ahead of today’s game, Van Dijk said: “After two big Anfield wins in a row, we would love to make it a perfect hat-trick this weekend.

“Our Premier League victory over Brighton last weekend was important, with the team showing its character and quality to come back after a difficult first half. And to follow that up with a big performance against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday night felt equally significant.

“When you play as we did against the current champions of Germany, a team that has been among the best in Europe over the last 12 months or so, you can only take confidence.

“Against both Brighton and Leverkusen the atmosphere at Anfield was excellent, and played its part in our victories. I am looking forward to another loud one this evening when Aston Villa visit.”

England’s most in-form midfielder is uncapped and ready to show what Three Lions have been missing

17:35 , Mike Jones

After becoming a parent, after earning a place in the table-topping team, after a stellar player-of-the-match performance in a high-profile game and after providing one of the Champions League highlights of the week, Curtis Jones has another milestone occasion in his sights: a first senior international cap for England.

At the age of 23, it’s hardly before time. Indeed, given the discourse and dissatisfaction over the Three Lions’ midfield over the last few years, it might in fact seem odd to some that a Liverpool regular with almost 150 games under his belt might only now get a shot at earning a first cap.

The uncapped England man ready to show what Three Lions have been missing

Liverpool vs Aston Villa prediction

17:30 , Mike Jones

Aston Villa have faltered in recent weeks while Liverpool have carried on flying, so expect a home win despite it potentially being a close-fought contest.

Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa.

Predicted line-ups

17:25 , Mike Jones

With the international break looming Liverpool will want to go out on a high and keep hold of their place at the top of the table so expect Arne Slot to name a strong team.

Here’s how we see the two teams lining-up to face each other today:

Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins

Aston Villa early team news

17:20 , Mike Jones

Matty Cash (calf) and Ross Barkley are still sidelined for Aston Villa, while Tyrone Mings will likely drop to the bench following his midweek horror show that was criticised by his manager.

Liverpool’s early team news

17:15 , Mike Jones

Arne Slot has confirmed that Diogo Jota (rib) won’t be back for Liverpool until after the international break, while Alisson (hamstring), Harvey Elliott (foot) and Federico Chiesa are also sidelined.

Ibrahima Konate has made a very swift return from a wrist injury sustained last weekend, as he started against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, and Slot also faces a choice between Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson at left-back, with the Greek seeming to have usurped the Scot as first choice in recent weeks.

Where can I watch it?

17:10 , Mike Jones

The match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can also stream via the discovery+ app.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

When is the game?

17:05 , Mike Jones

Liverpool host Aston Villa at 8pm GMT on Saturday, 9 November at Anfield.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

17:00 , Mike Jones

Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield in the Premier League tonight, with Arne Slot’s side looking to stay at the top of the Premier League for anther week.

The Reds entered the weekend with a two-point lead at the summit of the table, having earned a hard-fought win over Brighton last weekend, though they face an Aston Villa side that is once again competing at the business end of proceedings.

Despite a solid start to the season, Unai Emery’s side lost 4-1 to Tottenham last weekend, before slipping to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Club Brugge in the Champions League in midweek thanks to Tyrone Mings’s moment of madness.

Liverpool also featured in that competition in midweek, hammering Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 to move top of the table, and they welcome a Villa side who will be hoping to cause an upset in Merseyside as they look to stay around the Champions League places.

Good evening!

08:49 , Mike Jones

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action as Liverpool host Aston Villa in a crucial Premier League clash that could determine who sits top of the table over the international break.

The Reds currently occupy top spot but face stiff competition from Manchester City who sit second just two points behind them. With Villa proving to be tough opponents this year Arne Slot’s side will have to execute a near-perfect gameplan to break down their defence and get the three points.

We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.