WE all knew a team from Merseyside would be Invincible after four games.
Just not the team in blue.
Aston Villa hat-trick hero Ollie Watkins revels in an amazing destruction of Premier League champions LiverpoolCredit: EPA
Jack Grealish completes a staggering triumph for Aston Villa with their seventh goal on 75 minutesCredit: AFP
Ross Barkley makes it 5-1 to 100% side Villa they shock Liverpool 7-2Credit: Getty Images – Getty
After one of the strangest but also magnificently entertaining days in the history of the Premier League, the table today has a properly weird look about it.
Not only with Everton top but unbeaten Aston Villa, having played a game less, in second spot.
And there, down in fifth place, are Liverpool, the champions, having just been absolutely battered, humiliated and destroyed in one of the most extraordinary games ever seen at this famous old football stadium.
Like the events up the M6 at Old Trafford a couple of hours earlier, this was conclusive proof that the Prem in its entirety has forgotten how to defend.
Not that neutral fans care in the slightest. Because for many, to see the two biggest teams in England – Manchester United and Liverpool – taken apart and completely embarrassed will have been wonderful viewing.
Just seeing the scorelines again will bring a huge smile to the faces of millions of football followers.
In everyday life due to the coronavirus crisis, there is nothing to like about the New Normal. But if this is the New Normal in football, due to its spectacular unpredictability, then long may it continue.
In just one evening Ross Barkley developed a telepathic understanding with Jack Grealish.
The current season should be sponsored by Playstation as the defenders, top-class internationals, look as though they are being controlled by people at home.
Liverpool were a complete shambles, with Joe Gomez suffering a nightmare, but he was not the only one to blame.
Equally, though, Villa were absolutely unbelievable. And to think Dean Smith’s team nearly went down on the final day of last season.
Ollie Watkins, the £33million striker from Brentford, scored a brilliant first half hat-trick.
Former Everton midfielder Ross Barkley savoured an outstanding debut after his loan move from Chelsea.
In just one evening, he developed a telepathic understanding with Jack Grealish. It was a joy to see Villa’s posterboy cause such panic against a top team rather than a weaker side, which has been the norm.
After one of the greatest wins in their history, Villa fans – like Everton – can dream for a few weeks at least.
Ollie Watkins completes his incredible treble against last season’s runaway Prem winners LiverpoolCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Midfielder John McGinn got in on the act wit Villa’s third strike on 35 minutesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Liverpool were missing Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcanatara due to positive Covid-19 tests and Alisson was out injured but that is no excuse for such a feeble performance.
Liverpool fans will have winced when they saw that Adrian was starting.
In his last big game in March, he gifted Atletico Madrid a goal which sparked their extra-time comeback in the last 16 of the Champions League.
And the game was not even four minutes old when the Spanish keeper was at it again with a suicidal pass to Gomez.
Grealish squared for Watkins who finished confidently from close range but although he looked ecstatic, imagine if someone had told him he would be securing the matchball 35 minutes later.
Watching this game, in an empty stadium, was a truly surreal experience.
Quite clearly, not having any fans to create tension, the lack of a proper pre-season and a jam-packed calendar has sent the players haywire.
The disbelief was visible among all the Liverpool team but Villa kept on attacking like lions.
Yet Watkins, although having scored plenty of goals in the Championship, made his opponents look like non-League players.
For the second, he impressed with some good hold up play, exchanged passes with Grealish and charged into the area, turned Gomez inside out and then produced an explosive finish into the top corner.
Mo Salah pulled one back by lashing the ball past Emi Martinez after Naby Keita’s initial shot was blocked by Matt Targett.
Yet instead of taking some semblance of control, Liverpool fell to pieces and made Villa look like the Premier League champions.
John McGinn restored Villa’s two-goal advantage with a volley albeit with a heavy deflection off Virgil van Dijk, who was walking around as though he wanted to kill some of his team-mates.
The disbelief was visible among all the Liverpool team but Villa kept on attacking like lions.
Ollie Watkins fires Villa 2-0 up and had completed a hat-trick by the 39th minuteCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
It is not enough Mo Salah knows bagging a double for Liverpool means little but that must have been his feeling as he slotted home to make it 5-2Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Liverpool played a high line at Barkley’s free-kick and were waiting for an offside on Tyrone Mings but he was not active. Instead, Trezeguet crossed for Watkins to head into an empty net.
Barkley had certainly been in the thick of everything without getting a goal he deserved.
Finally, in another outstanding exchange with Grelaish, he took a shot from 20 yards which came off Trent Alexander-Arnold and looped over Adrian.
Gomez was finally put out of his misery and replaced by Curtis Jones but only after Salah made 5-2 with a left-foot strike.
Grealish, so impressive, then got the goal he also deserved but once again, luck was not on Liverpool’s side as the ball took a wicked deflection off Fabinho.
Yet here is a lad not short on confidence and Grealish illustrated that with a cheeky chip over Adrian for the final goal of a truly horrendous night for Jurgen Klopp.
But also, a brilliant couple of hours for Villa’s fans who will spend the next few weeks – maybe even years – looking at this frankly ridiculous scoreline.
So, one final time, Villa 7 Liverpool 2.
Liverpool face Champions League group of death with Barcelona, Inter Milan and Monchengladbach if Klopp fears come true
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
