Aston Villa v Liverpool: Premier League – live!

2.52pm EDT 14:52

Goal! Aston Villa 3-1 Liverpool (McGinn 35)

The resulting corner is cleared, McGinn wallops in a volley with interest from fully 30 yards, it clips Van Dijk’s foot and sends Adrian the wrong way! Klopp is angry about something but Villa don’t care. What a game this is!

John McGinn of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Updated at 2.58pm EDT

2.51pm EDT 14:51

34 min: Barkley now gets away down the right and Adrian turns his angled effort behind. There has been a *ridiculous* number of chances here. And now …

2.49pm EDT 14:49

Goal! Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool (Salah 33)

That is no big surprise, in fairness. Jota surges in from the left and, while Keita is crowded out from getting a shot away, the ball ricochets to Salah and his finish is lethal. Another rollercoaster game in this Premier League season!

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores his team’s first goal. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Updated at 2.55pm EDT

2.48pm EDT 14:48

32 min: Grealish, to Barkley, to a position very similar to the one the debutant missed from earlier. He’s under slightly more pressure, but it’s another good chance and he angles this one just wide!

2.46pm EDT 14:46

29 min: Cash gets back to concede a corner after Robinson marauds anew. Alexander-Arnold has a shot in its aftermath but Villa block.

2.44pm EDT 14:44

28 min: Villa’s early vim had abated before Watkins’ second and you started to wonder if they were sitting back too early. But that was lethal from the striker. Jota has another go now, floating one from 20 yards that Martinez – who is busy here – has to arch his back to tip over!

2.41pm EDT 14:41

25 min: Jota lets fly from range but Martinez holds it. This isn’t over, that’s more than clear, but what a cushion Villa have given themselves. Watkins is electric.

2.40pm EDT 14:40

Goal! Aston Villa 2-0 Liverpool (Watkins 22)

What a goal! Watkins lays the ball back to Grealish and then receives the ball straight back, springing him clear down the left. The obvious choice seems a square across to Trezeguet, but he doesn’t do that – he cuts in and lasers an absolutely spectacular finish plum into the top corner. Well!

Aston Villa’s English striker Ollie Watkins scores their second goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 2.44pm EDT

2.37pm EDT 14:37

21 min: Martinez vs Firmino continues, the keeper this time batting behind a drive from the left of the six-yard box after the forward had slalomed through. Liverpool are knocking at the door now.

2.36pm EDT 14:36

19 min: Martinez gets away with one there though, making an Adrian-esque error with a sloppy pass out and being lucky to see Firmino delay his shot. Eventually Firmino tees up Keita, whose effort is blocked by a diving Douglas Luiz. Sometimes it is – or should be – OK to put your foot through it!

2.34pm EDT 14:34

17 min: Liverpool wanted a penalty for a McGinn challenge on Salah in the aftermath of that chance, but VAR had a look and it’s nothing doing. I agree with that decision.

2.32pm EDT 14:32

15 min: Martinez saves Villa now, standing strong to block from Firmino at an angle as he bursts through on the right. He is a very good goalkeeper. And this is a very good game so far.

2.31pm EDT 14:31

14 min: Robertson gets to the line now, as Liverpool continue to show a few signs of life, and his drilled centre is cleared behind for a corner that comes to nought.

2.29pm EDT 14:29

13 min: Salah looks for Firmino but Emi Martinez has his beady eyes on that.

2.28pm EDT 14:28

11 min: Very difficult to see Villa in a relegation fight this season, and I’d have said that before this deeply impressive early spell. Pound for pound they have – ugh – “won the transfer window”.

Liverpool show for the first time now, Wijnaldum seeing a shot blocked and a corner being won. It’s cleared.

2.25pm EDT 14:25

8 min: Big miss from Barkley! It really should be two, Grealish slipping in a totally untracked Barkley but the midfielder screwing wide from eight yards when clear. Liverpool are at sixes and sevens.

2.23pm EDT 14:23

7 min: Jurgen Klopp did not give the impression, before the game, that Alisson will be back especially quickly. He’ll be looking at all kinds of miracle cures now.

2.22pm EDT 14:22

Goal! Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool (Watkins 4)

A howler from Adrian, and Villa’s bright start pays off! It’s so poor from the stand-in keeper, who miscues a simple ball out for Gomez and lays it straight to Grealish on the left of the box. Grealish quickly finds a totally open Watkins to his right and the striker makes no mistake. What a start!

Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa scores the opening goal. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images Aston Villa’s English striker Ollie Watkins (L) celebrates after scoring. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 2.40pm EDT

2.19pm EDT 14:19

3 min: Villa keep up the pace, Trezeguet doing well before Cash swings a cross over beyond Watkins and out.

2.18pm EDT 14:18

2 min: Good start from Villa, Barkley just failing to play Watkins through and a little flurry of pressure ensuing.

2.13pm EDT 14:13

The teams are out at Villa Park! This game might have a bit to live up to but I’m ruling out nothing …

2.06pm EDT 14:06

Dean Smith speaks on Barkley: “I had to look at him in training to see where his fitness levels were, but he’s a fit boy. Conor [Hourihane] has played really well but that is a different game, I felt Ross would offer some physicality. We’ve added a lot of quality this season, this has been a great market for us.”

2.03pm EDT 14:03

Manchester United 1-6 (SIX) Spurs – you’ll be wanting Jamie Jackson’s match report:

Harry Kane stars in Tottenham’s 6-1 thrashing of hapless Manchester United

1.55pm EDT 13:55

Villa look much improved this season and Ezri Konsa has been a big part of it. Read all about their remodelling and Konsa’s excellence with the one and only Paul Doyle:

Ezri Konsa thriving at Dean Smith’s fast-improving Aston Villa

1.42pm EDT 13:42

I have already been at The Football today. It’s wet out, I can tell you, not that one ought to complain. Because everyone’s a salesman nowadays, here is the on-whistle report from the Emirates:

Pépé and Saka keep Arsenal on track as Sheffield United’s winless start goes on

1.28pm EDT 13:28

Apparently a game just happened in Manchester. You may well want to read about it, especially if you are of a Liverpool persuasion.

Manchester United v Tottenham: Premier League – live!

1.26pm EDT 13:26

So, a look at those teams. No Sadio Mane for Liverpool, of course, due to his Covid-19 diagnosis – Diogo Jota starts and is not a bad stand-in at all. Adrian has to step in, too, because of Alisson’s shoulder injury.

Can Villa capitalise? I think we all know anything is possible this season, at this point. Barkley starts. It looks a strong team to me.

1.19pm EDT 13:19

Starting lineups

Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Barkley, Trezeguet, Watkins, Grealish

Subs: Davis, Nakamba, Traoré, El Ghazi, Steer, Hourihane, Ahmed Elmohamady

Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Jota

Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Henderson, Jones, Minamino, Origi, N. Williams.

1.00pm EDT 13:00

Preamble

Good evening!

This could be a tricky night for Liverpool against an Aston Villa team full of confidence and who can now call on Ross Barkley, a player keen to get a result against the Premier League champions.

Jurgen Klopp is certainly wary of the opposition.

Jürgen Klopp wary of threat posed by improved Aston Villa