Liverpool opened a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as breakaway goals by Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah sealed a 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Manchester City’s earlier defeat was the perfect pre-match tonic for Liverpool and Nunez’s 20th minute strike following a lightning counter-attack set the tone at Anfield.

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made some vital saves to preserve his side’s lead but Salah raced clear in the 84th minute to wrap up the points and maintain their sensational start to the season under new manager Arne Slot.

They have won 15 out of 17 games in all competitions since the Dutchman replaced Juergen Klopp in the close season.

Liverpool will head into the international break with 28 points from 11 games with reigning champions City on 23.

Villa’s third league defeat of the season leaves them down in eighth place with 18 points.

Slot saluted the ecstatic Anfield crowd at the full-time whistle and they roared their approval as the post-Klopp era continues to defy even the most optimistic forecasts.

After a relatively comfortable run of fixtures at the start of the season, Liverpool have now drawn away at Arsenal, beaten a dangerous Brighton and Hove Albion and trashed Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Slot said, “We have players who are so fast on the counter-attack so it was good to see we scored two from them. We are really happy that after such a difficult period most of our players stayed fit. We’ve had some tough tests for sure, but after the break again they are tough. Margins are small, we have a bit of a margin but there are many challenges to come.”

Liverpool were made to work hard by a patient Villa side but combined a measured approach in defence with lethal counter-attacking that could have delivered more than the two goals.

Nunez’s opening goal stemmed from a Villa corner. As the ball was cleared, Virgil van Dijk’s pass sent Salah steaming into the Villa half and although he was bundled over by Leon Bailey the ball ran to Nunez who rounded Emiliano Martinez and slammed home a right-footed shot from a narrow angle.

Uruguayan Nunez should have made it 2-0 from an almost carbon copy situation shortly afterwards.

Again Liverpool burst out of defence in scintillating fashion and Nunez raced clear but with the goal at his mercy he lifted his shot over the crossbar.

Villa responded well and Kelleher, who has been so impressive in the absence of first-choice Alisson, tipped away a glancing header by Amadou Onana.

Kelleher then made a superb reflex save to keep out a close-range effort by Diego Carlos.

Villa looked more than capable of equalising after the break but Liverpool defended solidly and Salah floored them with his eighth league goal of the campaign.

(Reuters/NAN)