Liverpool beat Aston Villa to go five points clear at top of Premier League
Nunez & Salah score to give Reds comfortable win
Brighton earlier came from behind to earn stunning 2-1 win over Man City
Guardiola has suffered four successive defeats for first time as City boss
Other results: Brentford 3-2 Bournemouth, Fulham 2-0 Crystal Palace, West Ham 0-0 Everton, Wolves 2-0 Southampton
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Liverpool v Aston Villa (20:00 GMT)
Oh wow!
Those Brighton goals were greeted with yells of delight at Anfield, where Liverpool are getting ready to kick-off against Aston Villa in the late game.
If Arne Slot's team beat Villa they will go into the international break FIVE POINTS clear at the top - and 10 clear of Arsenal, who are at Chelsea on Sunday (16:30 GMT).
Image source, .Liverpool v Aston Villa (20:00 GMT)
There's an extra buzz, an extra spring in the step of Liverpool fans after Manchester City's FOURTH straight defeat.
Will the Reds take advantage or will they come unstuck against Aston Villa?
All eyes are on Anfield.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesWe'll continue to bring you reaction from Man City's defeat at Brighton, but we're also going to start building up to Liverpool v Aston Villa.
Arne Slot's side could go five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live
Manchester City rocked. Four losses in a row. They look a long way from their best.
Serious question, are City fans really concerned?
Is this a season too far for City?
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Jamie Redknapp
Former Tottenham midfielder on Sky Sports
That is one of the worst halves of football I've seen from a Pep Guardiola side. They were abject, they didn't defend, they didn't win individual battles and they didn't pass the ball forward at times.
First half they were excellent but second half when Hurzeler made the subs, there was only one team that was going to win it.
Image source, ReutersFT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City now have two weeks before their next game against Tottenham at home on 23 November.
They will hope their fitness issues have relented slightly by then, but their fixture list is very tough over the next few weeks.
Here's their next eight games:
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Liverpool are hosting Aston Villa at 20:00 GMT and they could finish the weekend five points clear at the top of the league.
They host Manchester City on 1 December. We're not in must-win terrority for Pep Guardiola's side yet, but it may be a game they cannot afford to lose.
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Pep Guardiola is having a very animated conversation with Jan Paul van Hecke at the full-time whistle.
It ends in a handshake between the two.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton 2-1 Man City
Steve Sidwell
Former Aston Villa and Brighton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
City have been too easy to score against today and in recent weeks.
The second goal they were dissected. That would not happen with Rodri, there is no chance of that.
FT: Brighton 2-1 Man City
Erling Haaland walks over to the away fans and animatedly claps.
His first-half goal put the visitors ahead, but a superb second-half comeback by Brighton has inflicted another defeat on Manchester City.
Brighton 2-1 Man City
A fourth successive defeat for Manchester City.
It is the first time in Pep Guardiola's managerial career he's lost four games in a row.
It is also the first time Manchester City have lost four successive games in 18 years, since Stuart Pearce was manager.
Image source, ReutersBrighton 2-1 Man City
Another cross into the box is dealt with by Brighton.
Erling Haaland is shown a yellow card after a tussle with Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton 2-1 Man City
Brighton are one minute away.
Pep Guardiola is 60 seconds away from a fourth successive defeat for the first time in his career.
Brighton 2-1 Man City
Steve Sidwell
Former Aston Villa and Brighton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
This is a great chance. It's a beautiful ball in from Kyle Walker and Gvardiol is unmarked in line with the penalty spot and he just can't direct it towards goal.
He gets good purchase on it but it flashes past the post.
Brighton 2-1 Man City
Almost!
Man City are patient and the result is a Kyle Walker cross into the box.
Josko Gvardiol, who has regularly chipped in with important goals, gets in front of his man but heads wide.
He should probably at least hit the target.
Brighton 2-1 Man City
It is worth pointing out that only two of those four defeats (if they do indeed lose this game) will be in the Premier League.
They have looked pretty tired for the final half an hour to be honest. They are missing Ruben Dias, John Stones, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, alongside long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb.
Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji were only deemed fit enough for the bench today too.
Pep Guardiola probably can't wait for the international break to come after this game.
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Although a 4th straight defeat may seem seismic, given City's standards, they'd still comfortably sit 2nd.
Jagon
Brighton 2-1 Man City
City are pushing.
Phil Foden is playing left wing now and Kevin de Bruyne finds him, but the England forward drags wide.
He wants a corner, but the referee isn't having it.
Image source, ReutersBrighton 2-1 Man City
There will be a minimum of nine minutes added on.
Plenty of time for this game to swing one way or another.
Brighton have brought on Jakub Moder for Kaoru Mitoma.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| |
| 2 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| |
| 3 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| |
| 4 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| |
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| |
| 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| |
| 7 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| |
| 8 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| |
| 9 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 16 |
| |
| 10 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| |
| 11 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| |
| 12 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| |
| 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 12 |
| |
| 14 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 12 |
| |
| 15 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 18 | -4 | 10 |
| |
| 16 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 10 |
| |
| 17 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 7 |
| |
| 18 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 6 |
| |
| 19 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 5 |
| |
| 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 21 | -14 | 4 |
|
Manager: Arne Slot
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Unai Emery
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Arne Slot
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Unai Emery
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
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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).
Only Manchester United (12) and Chelsea (7) have won more Premier League away games against Liverpool than Aston Villa (6, level with Arsenal).
Aston Villa have lost 16 of their last 18 Premier League away games against sides starting the day top of the table (D2), including each of the last nine in a row. Indeed, they’ve only won one of their 23 such games, beating Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road in January 2000.
Liverpool have conceded the first goal in their last two Premier League games, but avoided defeat in both (2-2 v Arsenal, 2-1 v Brighton). Indeed, their win against Brighton was the 100th time they’ve come from behind to win a Premier League match, the third team to reach this milestone in the competition.
Both of Aston Villa’s Premier League defeats this season have come against the two north London sides, losing 4-1 against Tottenham last time out. The Villans last lost consecutive league games in May 2023.
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 (6) and having the lowest xG against figure this term (8.1).
No team has scored more Premier League goals this season from either crosses (6) or set-piece situations (5, excluding penalties) than Aston Villa (level with Arsenal in both cases).
Liverpool’s Arne Slot has become just the fifth manager to win as many as eight of his first 10 Premier League games in charge, after John Gregory (1998), Guus Hiddink (2009), Carlo Ancelotti (2009) and Ange Postecoglou (2023). Of the previous four, only Postecoglou failed to win his 11th match in the competition.
No player has been involved in more Premier League goals so far this season than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (12 – 7 goals, 5 assists). The Egyptian has also had the most touches in the opposition box this term (96), while of players to have had 20+ shots, no-one has hit a higher percentage of them on target (67% - 20/30).
Only Erling Haaland (16) has had more big chances than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in the Premier League this season (14). However, Watkins has scored with just four of these, the lowest conversion rate of any of the seven players with 10+ big chances (28.6%).
