Aston Villa v Liverpool – Premier League!

Barney Ronay on Naby Keïta

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report – goodnight.

Updated at 17.09 EDT

Here’s the winning goal from Sadio Mane, which I forgot to post because I am a scatterbrained mess. What a great header though.

Updated at 17.01 EDT

It wasn’t a perfect night for Liverpool. They didn’t get to massage their goal difference, and Fabinho went off with a hamstring injury in the first half. But a win is a win is a win, and it keeps the pressure on Manchester City ahead of their trip to Wolves tomorrow.

Full time: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

Peep peep! Liverpool move level on points with Manchester City witha hard-fought win at Villa Park. They had to come from behind after Douglas Luiz gave Villa the lead in the third minute. But Joel Matip equalised straight away and the in-form Sadio Mane won it in the 65th minute with a superb header.

Updated at 16.57 EDT

90+4 min Martinez’s free-kick is cleared by a combination of Matip and Alexander-Arnold.

Naby Keita of Liverpool and Tyrone Mings of Aston Villa clash in injury time. Photograph: Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images

Updated at 17.00 EDT

90+4 min A free-kick on the halfway line gives Villa one last chance…

90+2 min Ings’ corner is headed over by Buendia at the near post. He was under pressure and it wasn’t much of a chance. Villa have played pretty well tonight, and you can make a case for 1-2 or 2-2 being a fair result.

90+2 min van Dijk takes the ball off the toes of Ings, who had rolled Matip cleverly in the area. Ings has been terrific in the last quarter of the game.

90 min Four minutes of added time. Naby Keita is down, and Jurgen Klopp – who has been animated throughout the second half – is trying to get Mo Salah’s attention about something or other.

89 min Cash shoots into the side netting from the right corner of the area. Alisson had it covered, and it was a poor decision with Ings and Buendia waiting in the area.

88 min The home crowd appeal for handball when the ball hits van Dijk on the edge of the area. Jon Moss isn’t interested, nor are team VAR.

Updated at 16.48 EDT

70 min Emi Buendia replaces Philippe Coutinho. (Yep, I did miss it – sorry.)

85 min: Ings has a goal disallowed! It was a cracking finish, rifled under Alisson from a tight angle, but he was well offside. And deep down he knew it.

Danny Ings of Aston Villa finds the net but it’s disallowed due to offside. Photograph: Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images Ings reacts with dismay. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 16.51 EDT

84 min: Good save by Alisson! Villa are still in this. Ings, surrounded by defenders, abracadabras enough space to shoot from a tight angle. Alisson moves to his right to save and pushes the ball just wide of Chukwuemeka following up.

Updated at 16.45 EDT

83 min A sweet half-volley from Keita, 25 yards from goal, swirls just wide. Martinez had it covered but it was a lovely strike.

81 min Ollie Watkins is replaced by Bertrand Traore. I think Watkins may have jarred or pulled something during a challenge with van Dijk.

80 min “Hello Rob,” writes Becky Scarrott. “I wrote the piece you linked to at half-time – thank you for mentioning it! Can confirm he genuinely is a lovely guy. Makes a mean cappuccino too.”

Referees with personalities and/or lives are emphatically a Good Thing. See also: Dean, Michael.

79 min After good build-up play from Villa, Ings’ speculative cross on the turn is booted clear by Alexander-Arnold.

77 min Salah has a shot blocked by Mings after nice play by Jota. A third Liverpool goal feels imminent, but as I say I’m not one for predictions.

76 min Tsimikas’s outswinging corner is headed straight at Alisson by Matip, quite an achievement given that Alisson is 90 yards away. I meant Martinez obviously.

Updated at 16.37 EDT

75 min: Off the line! Mane’s clever chest/volley from the right side of the six-yard box is headed off the line by Cash. It may have been going wide by Cash took no chances.

74 min A couple of crosses from Alexander-Arnold, who hhas had an outstanding game, as cleared desperately by Villa. Liverpool have been much the better side in the second half, yet even then Villa had a big chance to equalise. They remain a threat is what I’m saying.

72 min Salah almost gets through straight away, running onto a long pass by Keita. Konsa does quite well to hold him up and then Salah overruns the ball through to Martinez.

72 min “Jon Moss will be selling a few more Beatles albums and Merseybeat compilations tomorrow!” says Terry Weston. “Humph!”

Has he been that bad? There have been a few decisions here and there but nothing major, or has my short-term memory gone to pot?

71 min: Liverpool substitution Mo Salah replaces Luis Diaz, who did nothing except create what might be the winning goal.

69 min: Chance for Ings! Watkins times a through pass perfectly for Ings, who beats the high line for once but then overruns the ball fractionally. That allows Alisson to charge out and make a trademark one-on-one save. Nobody does it better.

67 min I was just about to type that Diaz and Jota had swapped wings when Diaz made the goal. He’s actually back on the right now, a decision which would invite criticism if it wasn’t for Jurgen Klopp knowing a gazillion times more about football management than I do.

That’s an excellent goal. Thiago won the ball in midfield and found Mane. He moved it to Jota, who clipped a really good pass out to Diaz on the left. He ran at Mings and hit a flat cross towards Mane, who steered a superb header across Martinez. Mane was actually backpedalling as the ball came to him, but he reacted so smartly and controlled the header perfectly.

GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool (Mane 65)

Luis Diaz moves to the left wing and makes a goal straight away!

Sadio Mane scores a deft header. Photograph: Craig Brough/Reuters Liverpool’s Senegalese striker Sadio Mane (L) celebrates scoring. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 16.30 EDT

65 min Villa haven’t been as threatening on the break in the second half. It feels like Liverpool are slowly wearing them down before scoring an 83rd-minute winner, but I’ve never been one for predictions.

63 min: Liverpool substitution And a change for Liverpool: Thiago replaces Curtis Jones.

62 min “I’m not sure what makes you RT,” says Francis Mead, “but your reference to ‘Liverpoo’ at 32 mins may be an indication of Putinistic tendencies.”

What was it Frasier Crane said? “There are no accidents.”

62 min: Villa substitution Carney Chukwuemeka comes on for Marvelous Nakamba in midfield. I guess Douglas Luiz will drop into the bouncer role in front of the back four.

61 min “Bring on Salah for Jones,” says Joe Pearson. “Move Jota into the midfield. Put Mane in the middle. Please.”

I hate to break it to you, but Mane’s already playing in the middle. Salah will be on soon though, NQAT.

60 min Cash’s excellent cross is well defended by Matip, who had Watkins (I think) waiting behind him.

60 min This entry is exclusively for as-it-stands junkies.

59 min “My respect for Jon Moss went up enormously when he didn’t send off Stevie B at Leicester,” says Yash Gupta. “That day was my birthday and is still the most WTF moment. Still I want a Villa result for nothing other than another Klopp meltdown.”

The Stevie B?

57 min Alexander-Arnold thrashes the free-kick wide of the far post. It was a clever idea, to hit it across goal with power rather than curl it towards the near side, but he didn’t get the execution right.

55 min Liverpool have upped the tempo since half-time. Mane is fouled by McGinn 25 yards from goal, which gives Alexander-Arnold another chance. This free-kick is more central than the last.

54 min Mo Salah is among the Liverpool players warming up. Not sure why I bothered telling you this, as it would be more of a story if he wasn’t warming up. The front three haven’t played that well tonight – I’m loath to draw sweeping conclusions from one performance, but Diaz feels more natural and dangerous when he plays from the left.

52 min Ings flicks a neat through pass to Watkins, whose slightly heavy touch allows Tsimikas to make a crucial interception. That was superb defending – if not quite worth a goal, then at least worth 0.4 on the old xG.