Results, highlights, and analysis from Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa.

The 3-1 victory over Aston Villa marked Liverpool’s return to Premier League play, but they had to battle hard for their triumph in an exciting game at Villa Park.

With barely five minutes remaining, Mohamed Salah scored the opening goal for the Reds, setting a Premier League defense assist record with Andrew Robertson’s help. Just before the halfway point, Virgil van Dijk increased the Reds’ lead.

The hosts, though, more than justified the Ollie Watkins header that got them back in the game in the second half, and that scoreline did not provide a totally fair portrayal of the game up to that moment.

Unfortunately for Unai Emery, his team’s brave attempt to gain an equalizer left them vulnerable to the counterattack. Stefan Bajcetic, a replacement, sealed the win late in the contest.

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool final score

Goals:

• LIV — Salah — 5th min
• LIV — Van Dijk — 37th min
• VIL — Watkins — 59th min
• LIV — Bajcetic — 81st min

Nunez’s mixed Liverpool start continues

It is typical to point out that strikers are, at the very least, setting themselves up to attempt shots when they consistently miss opportunities.

Darwin Nunez, who might have possibly scored two hat-trick goals in Liverpool’s first two games following the World Cup, can attest to the fact that.

Unfortunately, the Uruguayan’s finishing has left a lot to be desired, and he doesn’t have a single goal to show for the raft of chances he has been involved in since returning from Qatar

Among the flaws Klopp has sought to iron out in Nunez’s game since he joined the team are his failure to finish off opponents and a concerning propensity to veer offside.

The manager still has a lot of work to do since, alarmingly, it appears that whatever advancement achieved in that direction prior to the mid-season break has been lost in the most recent weeks.

Vamos, @Darwinn99 👊 pic.twitter.com/kjASzGYRvN

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2022

Control abandons the Reds once more

During the early part of the season, Liverpool’s inability to consistently dominate games was one of their main flaws, and it was anticipated that they would use the break to focus on improving it.

However, it is clear that they still have a long way to go based on how they played against Manchester City and Aston Villa.

Both contests turned into end-to-end brawls where the result was practically decided by the toss of a coin. If this trend continues, Klopp’s team will lose more games than they win.

By this time, it must be hard to argue that a center midfield acquisition in January will increase the likelihood of improvement on that front.

Rewarding young people’s faith

The more cynical Liverpool supporters may think that Klopp’s usage of Bajcetic here was intended to convey to the team’s owners the necessity for midfield reinforcements.

However, the Reds manager has a lot of trust in the young player and undoubtedly saw a chance to utilise him when his more seasoned heads grew weary in the face of a late Villa attack.

That bold decision was rewarded in the greatest manner imaginable when Bajcetic, in one of his few first-team appearances, calmly scored a crucial third goal late in the game.

🥰 pic.twitter.com/d3ZzklH6Xi

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2022

The best Fantasy Football 2022 additions for Week 13

Aaron Judge must sign somewhere. See a good analysis here

Aaron Rodgers provides a terrifying update on his rib injury.

Chargers defense shuts out Colts in a perfect performance as they go farther into the playoffs.

Liverpool vs. Manchester City Prediction, Odds, and Line: EFL Cup predictions from experts and top bets for December 22

Liverpool vs. Manchester City Prediction, Odds, and Line: EFL Cup predictions from experts and top bets for December 22

The 2022–23 English League Cup fourth-round encounter between Liverpool and Manchester City at Etihad Stadium will be challenging for the defending champions. The Reds defeated Chelsea in the EFL Cup final on penalties back in February, but they also had to defeat Derby County in the third-round matchup this year on November 9. Man City won their match against Chelsea on the same day, and they want to advance after losing to West Ham in the fourth round the year before. Man City has eight EFL Cup victories, while Liverpool has a record nine. The Premier League champion Citizens are ranked second in the 2022–23 standings, five points behind Arsenal. The Reds finished second in the EPL in 2021–22 but are currently sixth, 15 points behind the Gunners.

Manchester, England is scheduled to kick underway at 3 p.m. ET. The most recent Manchester City vs. Liverpool odds from Caesars Sportsbook have Manchester City as -150 underdogs (risk $150 to win $100). Liverpool are -330 underdogs, a tie is -310, and 3.5 total goals are the set over/under. Check out Martin Green’s English League Cup predictions and best bets before committing to any Liverpool vs. Manchester City choices or EFL Cup wagers. Martin Green is a seasoned SportsLine soccer insider.

Green became a professional sports journalist and handicapper after working in the sports betting sector for a number of years. He has covered the sport internationally. His predictions for European soccer have proven accurate ever since. Since the 2017–18 season, Green has produced roughly $33,000 for $100 bettors.

The USMNT to progress (+100), Kylian Mbappe to win the Golden Boot (+900), and Netherlands, England, and Argentina to all win their groups (+210) were among Green’s winning World Cup predictions on the Early Edge.

Green has just finalized his choices and EFL Cup forecasts after thoroughly dissecting the Man City vs. Liverpool clash. To see his choices, go to SportsLine right away. The odds and trends for Liverpool vs. Man City are as follows:

• Liverpool vs. Man City line: Man City -0.5 (-140)
• Over/under 3.5 goals for Man City vs. Liverpool
• Money line for Man City vs. Liverpool: Liverpool +330, Man City -150, and a Draw +310
• In their last 10 games in all competitions, they have outscored opponents 17-6.
• Over their last 10 competitive games, they have outscored opponents 20-6.
• Picks for Man City vs. Liverpool: Find selections here.

Why You Should Support City of Manchester

Due to some important players taking their time getting back from the World Cup, the Citizens will be lacking some firepower. With Argentina, Julian Alvarez won a championship, and England’s Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, among others, advanced to the semifinals. Erling Haaland, whose country Norway did not qualify for the World Cup, will be eager to put on a show and City should have two of their greatest players. Kevin De Bruyne, a star midfielder for Belgium, should also be prepared to go after leaving the team early. This season, Haaland has scored 18 goals in EPL action, six more than any other player.

Ilkay Gundogan started with them in a friendly game against Girona last weekend. De Bruyne now leads the EPL with nine assists. In the 2-0 triumph, goals were scored by De Bruyne and Haaland. After scoring 21 goals in each of the previous two seasons, Gundogan now has two. Haaland and 18-year-old Carlos Borges likely start with Riyad Mahrez, who has 31 goals in the last three games. In 10 games for City’s U21 squad, the City academy product has four goals and five assists. Man City is 3-2-4 away from home this season, while Liverpool is 11-0-2 overall.

Reasons to Support Liverpool

In their last five encounters with City, the Reds are undefeated and have won the last three. Liverpool won the 3-2 FA Cup in April, the 3-1 Community Shield soon before the EPL season, and the 1-0 EPL triumph in October. The Reds have gone four games without a loss, with their lone loss coming in a 0-0 tie at Derby City. They won 7-2 against the remaining three foes. Both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, who have combined for 14 goals and five assists in 21 games across all competitions, should be available. Firmino has also scored nine goals and assisted on four others.

Although Liverpool has four less attempts than City, which has the most in the league with 244, it still leads the EPL with 87 shots that are on target. With 50 shots and 20 shots on goal, Salah and Firmino are in a three-way tie for third place in the league. The Reds’ defense will be a touch porous, but Joel Matip should be available in the center. Alisson, the goalkeeper, Trent Alexander-Arnold, a crucial fullback, and Jordan Henderson, a midfielder, all worked out this week and might all contribute. City’s starting 11 and reserves are missing a lot more players overall.

How to make predictions for Man City vs. Liverpool and the EFL Cup

Green has examined every aspect of the Man City vs. Liverpool EFL Cup game. He offers his three assured best bets and is leaning Over the goal total. One of these would pay off at a ratio of more than 2-1. At SportsLine, he solely offers predictions and analyses for the EFL Cup.

The best Fantasy Football 2022 additions for Week 13

Aaron Judge must sign somewhere. See a good analysis here

Aaron Rodgers provides a terrifying update on his rib injury.

The 76ers defeated the Hawks thanks to Joel Embiid’s decisive performance.

Rodgers & Love and their Financial Futures

After the final group games, Qatar World Cup last-16 fixtures have been confirmed ahead of England vs. Senegal.

England is one of 16 teams to advance from their groups as the World Cup enters its final rounds. Tomorrow (Saturday), the round of 16 begins, with the winners of Group A facing the losers of Group B.

The Netherlands advanced without incident as Cody Gakpo continues to impress in his maiden World Cup, leading the competition in scoring. England will play Senegal on Sunday, joining the Netherlands and the United States in the next round.

Lionel Messi was influential for Argentina once again, as they prepare to face Australia, who qualified with France from Group D. At one point on Thursday night, Spain and Germany were both on their way out of the tournament, but it was the Germans who suffered another disappointing performance at a major tournament and joined Belgium in exiting the competition.

The World Cup will now be divided into two paths to the final, with countries prepared for knockout competition. Here is a schedule for the World Cup once all of the group stage matches have been completed:

The Netherlands won Group A with seven points from three matches and will face the United States, who placed second to England in Group B. Gakpo is the primary guy for Louis van Gaal’s team at the moment, although Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Yunus Musah, and Weston McKennie are also dangers for the USA.

Lionel Messi will be trying to lead his country into the quarter-finals with a win over Australia, as the winners of the above two games will meet in the quarter-finals.

France vs. Poland and England against. Senegal on Sunday, December 4

The opposite half of the World Cup knockout bracket begins on Sunday, with France facing Poland, who finished second in Group C behind Argentina. England will try to advance to the quarter-finals with a win over Senegal, perhaps setting up a meeting with the current World Cup champions if France defeats Poland.

Monday, December 5: Japan vs. Croatia, and Brazil vs. South Korea.

Japan, who qualified out of Group E ahead of Costa Rica and Germany on the final matchday of the group stages, will face Croatia who saw out a 0-0 draw against Belgium to knock Roberto Martinez’s side out of the competition in shocking fashion. Brazil, the tournament favorites, rotated significantly for their last group stage encounter, which they lost 1-0 to Cameroon.

Neymar remains an injury worry for the remainder of the tournament, and South Korea will be a severe test after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the round of 16, qualifying ahead of both Uruguay and Ghana on goals scored.

Morocco against. Spain & Portugal vs. Switzerland on Tuesday, December 6

The last round of 16 matches get off on Tuesday, with Morocco taking on Spain and Portugal taking on Switzerland. The Swiss defeated Serbia 3-2 on the penultimate day of the group stages to secure their spot in the round of 16, while Morocco demonstrated their ability to trigger an upset by defeating Belgium in their group.

The best Fantasy Football 2022 additions for Week 13

Aaron Judge must sign somewhere. See a good analysis here

Aaron Rodgers provides a terrifying update on his rib injury.

The 76ers defeated the Hawks thanks to Joel Embiid’s decisive performance.

Rodgers & Love and their Financial Futures