Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Reds can't constantly think of records, says boss Jurgen Klopp
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Sadio Mane scored the first goal in the 71st minute
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool cannot focus on breaking records after the Premier League champions made it 17 wins from 17 home games this season by beating Aston Villa.
The Reds moved on to 89 points after second-half goals from Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones secured a 2-0 win.
Liverpool need 12 points from the last five games to beat Manchester City's record of 100 points in a season.
"We've always focused on the game and that won't change," said Klopp.
"We didn't come here and have the numbers we have because we thought about breaking records.
"Hopefully in the future, when the record ends or the season ends, I can start thinking about it.
"If we can do something special it is great but we really don't think too much about it."
As well as breaking the record for most points in a season, Liverpool can also match Sunderland's 128-year-old record of winning every home league game in a season.
They have won 17 out of 17 in 2019-20 and 24 in a row in total - a run stretching back to a 1-1 draw with Leicester in January 2019.
This was Liverpool's first game at Anfield since becoming Premier League champions and the win ensured they bounced back after being beaten 4-0 by Manchester City on Thursday.
However, they were far from their best with the opening goal coming from just their second shot on target, Mane lashing Naby Keita's cross in via the underside of the crossbar.
Until then Villa had looked like earning a precious and unexpected point and had even had chances to go ahead themselves, with Alisson parrying away Anwar el Ghazi's fierce shot early in the second half.
Mane's strike clearly deflated the visitors and they fell further behind just before full-time when Jones celebrated signing a new long-term deal by volleying home his first Premier League goal.
Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Jurgen Klopp praises Curtis Jones
Klopp added: "Aston Villa were fighting with all they had and it makes life uncomfortable.
"I like it, it was not a brilliant performance but it was a good performance that gets us three points."
Defeat for Villa means they remain in the relegation zone in 18th, one point adrift of safety and still searching for their first win since the Premier League restarted.
Reds not at their best, but get the job done
This was a welcome return to winning ways for Liverpool in their first Anfield game since a first league title win in 30 years was confirmed.
After the thrashing at Etihad Stadium, boss Jurgen Klopp said that his side had not lost any focus after achieving their main objective, but they were distinctly below par in a scrappy opening half against Villa.
After being given a guard of honour by the visitors before kick-off, Liverpool struggled to get into any sort of rhythm and did not register a first shot on target until shortly before half-time when Mane's snapshot was comfortably saved by former Reds keeper Pepe Reina.
At 19 years and 157 days, Curtis Jones (48) is the youngest Liverpool player to score a Premier League goal since Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was 19 years and 80 days old when he scored against Swansea in December 2017
That was only their second attempt on goal - the first time in almost two years that the Reds had managed just two shots in the first half of a Premier League game.
Roberto Firmino, left on the bench as Klopp rotated his squad, came on just after the hour and only then did the hosts really start to look like their old selves.
In the end Liverpool, as champions do, got the job done.
It was not an encounter that will live long in the memory but it keeps Klopp's side on course to add a couple more records to an already incredible season.
Villa show fight, but need the points
Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Dean Smith says Villa showed 'quality' at Anfield
It has been a tough return to Premier League action for Aston Villa as they look to avoid dropping straight back into the Championship.
Dean Smith's side have now lost three of their five games since the restart, drawing the other two, but while they have arguably got what they deserved in some of the previous fixtures, they can count themselves unfortunate not to have secured what would have been a hard-fought point at Anfield.
For well over an hour Villa went toe-to-toe with the champions. They were strong and disciplined in defence and looked lively in attack, particularly on the counter.
But, as is so often the case in recent games, Villa were unable to make the most of the few opportunities that came their way and once Liverpool went ahead, a 10th game without a win looked a formality.
Villa's performance should give them heart but time is rapidly running out for them to pick up the points they need to survive.
They are only a win away from climbing out of the bottom three but with tough fixtures against in-form Manchester United and Arsenal to come, they need to find a way to make the most of the few chances that come their way.
"I don't want to be a valiant loser, we're scrapping for points," Villa boss Smith said.
"To out-shoot Liverpool at home at Anfield, in terms of efforts on goal, it's excellent - but we need to take our opportunities. We never found the quality in the final third they did."
Man of the match - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
While many of his team-mates were below par, Sadio Mane was one of the few Liverpool players looking to make things happen and took his goal well
Mane the man again - the stats
Liverpool have now won their past 34 Premier League matches when scoring the first goal of the game, since a 1-1 draw with West Ham United in February 2019
Liverpool are unbeaten in their past 57 Premier League home games (W47 D10)
Aston Villa have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 24 Premier League away games, since a 0-0 draw with West Brom in January 2016. It's their longest such run in the top flight since September 1989 (38 games)
Aston Villa are without a victory in nine Premier League games (D2 L7), the longest current winless run in the competition
Liverpool's Sadio Mane has been directly involved in eight goals in his past five Premier League appearances against Aston Villa (six goals, two assists).
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah registered his 100th Premier League goal involvement in his 116th appearance (73 goals, 27 assists) - only Alan Shearer (100 appearances) took fewer games to reach this milestone in the competition (Eric Cantona also 116 games).
What next?
Liverpool travel to Brighton on Wednesday (20:15 BST) while Aston Villa host Manchester United on Thursday (20:15)
