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BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) – A superb first-half hat-trick by Ollie Watkins helped Aston Villa to an impressive 7-2 victory over Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday to end the 100% start season of champions in an extraordinary way. .
Villa narrowly avoided relegation last season and finished 64 points behind Liverpool, who conceded seven goals in a game in any competition for the first time since 1963.
“It’s hard to lose the way we lost tonight. First of all, well done to Aston Villa, we have to give them the credit they deserve. It was one of those performances where we weren’t 100% from start to finish.” Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports.
“Overall we’re all disappointed, we shouldn’t have lost with the numbers we did, but it’s about sticking together and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Liverpool got off to a poor start at Villa Park when a poor pass from Adrian, who replaced Alisson on the goal for the visitors after the Brazilian injured his shoulder, gave Watkins his first goal in the fourth minute.
Adrian has made five mistakes that led directly to opposition goals in his 21 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, the same number as Alisson in 92 games for the club.
Ahead of the Spaniard, a full-strength Liverpool defense opened up again moments later, with former Everton midfielder Ross Barkley making his debut after joining Villa on loan, giving him another chance but dragging his effort.
“All the things you shouldn’t do in a football game we did tonight,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. “The first goal had an impact, but it shouldn’t. We got goals like that in the past, but the reaction wasn’t good and we lost the plot.”
If there was an element of good luck in Watkins’ first goal in a Villa jersey, his second was all his own work, as he cut inside before shooting into the top corner to stun the champions and put it 2-0 at minute 22.
STRIKE DEFLECTED
Mohamed Salah’s fine left-footed shot seemed to put Liverpool back into the game in the 33rd minute, but a deflected shot from John McGinn two minutes later restored Villa’s two-goal lead.
Watkins completed a perfect hat-trick in 39 minutes with his head, becoming the first player to score a Premier League treble against Liverpool in more than a decade, and Barkley did so in the fifth minute of the second. weather.
Salah gave Liverpool hope at the hour mark, but a late double by Jack Grealish completed the score.
“I think when the first one came in I pinched myself a bit because of how early it was,” Watkins said. “I’m delighted to contribute and that we won at the end of the day. It’s amazing to score and get a hat-trick.”
Villa rained on 18 shots into Liverpool’s goal and could have added more before the final whistle as they moved up to second in the standings after a third straight win.
“When Juergen Klopp says wow, you know you’ve done something right,” Villa manager Dean Smith said. “The guys were excellent, they executed the game plan perfectly.”
Liverpool is fifth.
(Reporting by Peter Hall, Ed Osmond editing)
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