Salah, Van Dijk Put Liverpool Past Aston Villa On Emery's First EPL Second Game

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic scored to give Liverpool a 3-1 win over Aston Villa and moved sixth in the Premier League in an open game on boxing day.

Striker Salah tapped in the visitors' opener in the fifth minute after a sublime passing move from marauding wing-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Defender van Dijk bagged Liverpool's second in the 37th minute with a superb left-footed shot after being set up by Salah, who would have been proud of the finish.

Ollie Watkins put Villa back in the game with a smart 59th minute header across goalkeeper Alisson Becker, before 18-year-old midfielder Bajcetic squeezed in Liverpool's third - his first senior goal - to secure the win in the 81st minute.

Goalscoring opportunities came aplenty for both teams as they peppered each other with high balls over the defences. Liverpool's Darwin Nunez was a nuisance throughout, missing a string of chances including a well-saved volley after he plucked the ball from high over his shoulder.

The result left Aston Villa in 12th place on 18 points, while Liverpool are on 25 points, one behind old rivals Manchester United in fifth but a daunting 12 behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who were playing later on Monday.