Zonal Marking V – Liverpool F.C. v Aston Villa F.C.

Jurgen Klopp looked to bounce back after being overwhelmed by Manchester City earlier in the week. Thankfully, Liverpool were able to disassemble Dean Smith’s pre match plan of “scoring one and conceding none” with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Goalkeeper and defence

The Reds dominated possession in the opening minutes of the game and chances for the visitors came few and far between. As the game went on, more opportunities began to present themselves to Villa but none of them were good enough to challenge a keeper of Alisson’s calibre other than a threatening strike from Douglas Ruiz. Things became more complicated for the Brazilian during the second half however, with Liverpool’s number one being called upon to stop a powerful strike from Jack Grealish once the game had resumed.

Andy Robertson pushed up high as he had done against Palace when the Reds last played at Anfield, but the Scotsman was still able to track back when needed – blocking a cross from Grealish which was sent curling towards goal in the first half. He did loose possession on a number of occasions though, and this was far from his best performance in a Liverpool shirt. At right back, Trent Alexander-Arnold placed a good cross into the box which was sent towards Sadio Mané at the back post during the first half, and the England international looked to cause Villa problems throughout the game.

Overall, Liverpool’s defence looked as though it had re-gained a sense of structure which had been absent earlier on in the week – Virgil van Dijk at the centre of it all once again with a good, headed clearance to defend against a free kick in the later stages of the game.

Score: 7

Midfield

With Jordan Henderson amongst the substitutes, van Dijk was given the captain’s armband whilst Naby Keita started another Premier League game for Liverpool alongside Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the centre of the field.

The Guinea international linked up well with Sadio Mané on the wing in an attempt to be more inventive than those around him, and whilst Liverpool looked to break down an Aston Villa side who sat deep for large portions of the game, it was his smart pass through Villa’s defence which allowed Mané to power one in off the crossbar.

The highlight of the night came after Naby was substituted however, with Curtis Jones scoring his first Premier League goal for Liverpool with a compact finish from inside the box – a moment which will be a highlight for the 19 year-old, along with his sensational strike which he scored against Everton in January.

Jordan Henderson’s presence was also felt profoundly on the pitch as it has been all season after he replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain in the second half, and Gini Wijnaldum replaced Fabinho to form a more traditional Liverpool midfield.

Score: 8

Attack

Sadio Mané and Mo Salah started for Liverpool alongside Divock Origi who covered for Roberto Firmino up front.

Other than Origi’s new pale blonde hair colour, he gave supporters little to talk about from his performance on the night whilst Salah was swarmed by Dean Smith’s men whenever he got possession of the ball during the opening 45 minutes. It did not stop the Egyptian from assisting the winning goal though, and as Villa continued to attack Liverpool on the counter, the hosts were presented with more and more chances to attack themselves as the game went on.

Meanwhile, Sadio Mane showed off his skills on the evening despite the fact that none of them came off to great effect, but his runs down the wing did cause Villa problems and his clinical goal in the second half allowed Liverpool to finish things off as the match came to an end.

Roberto Firmino replaced Orgii in the second half – the number nine almost ending his goal drought at Anfield with a good strike towards goal, which forced a save from ex Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. The former Reds stopper would have no doubt received a warm reception from the Anfield crowd if supporters had been allowed into the stadium.

A trip to Brighton is next up on the cards for Jurgen Klopp and his team – 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss is the record so far since the Reds returned to action.

Score: 7

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @MatthLFC