The Midlands side net seven against Klopp’s Liverpool as Watkins scores a hat-trick.
http://gty.im/1228896707Aston Villa hit seven past reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in a historic result at Villa Park.
New recruit Ollie Watkins netted his first top-flight goal early on after a mistake from stand-in Reds keeper Adrian.
The ex-Brentford forward doubled his tally, cutting inside to loop the ball over the keeper and extend the Villans’ advantage.
Fans of the Midlands club were left biting their nails after the half-hour mark when Mohamed Salah struck from close range to halve the deficit.
But this wasn’t to last as Villa midfielder John McGinn made it three with a deflected strike from outside the box.
Just four minutes later, Ollie Watkins headed into an open goal to make it four as Dean Smith’s side continued to stamp their authority on the match.
http://gty.im/1278459993The second-half brought a chance for Klopp’s men to make an extraordinary comeback. However, their defensive frailties worsened further.
Ten minutes after the break, new signing Ross Barkley, who arrived from Chelsea in the week, scored on his debut to make it five with a powerful left-footed strike.
Salah got one back on the hour mark but it was nothing more than a consolation goal for the Reds.
The job was completed by club captain Jack Grealish who had left fans and critics astonished throughout.
The England playmaker netted twice within ten minutes to give Villa their biggest win over Liverpool in almost 90 years.
In his post-match interview, ball-winner Ollie Watkins said: “These times don’t come around often. I think you’ve got to make the most of it. It’s a shame there’s no fans here but to score against a team like that is unbelievable.”
Watkins’ manager Dean Smith added: “I’m so, so proud of the players. They executed the game plan to perfection. But my biggest pleasure was the work-rate. That was a special performance tonight. The problem for the lads now is that I’ll be expecting it all the time!”
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk heaped praise on the Villans in what was a sorry performance from the Reds’ backline. The Dutchman said to Sky Sports: “It’s hard to lose the way we lost tonight. Well done to Aston Villa.”
http://gty.im/1228895741“It felt like it was one of those performances where we weren’t 100% at it. We should’ve done better and we are all very disappointed. It’s key to stick together and not let this happen again.”
The shock result will live long in the memories of the fans of either side. A Liverpool side without Sadio Mane, Alisson and Jordan Henderson capitulated under the pressure of an energetic and hungry Villa attack.