Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: *Bumper* Post-Match Analysis

Paul Tomkins, Andrew Beasley, Daniel Rhodes and other TTT regulars will give their thoughts on the match for 24 hours after the game, so the article received via email is unlikely to be the final version. There's statistics from the match and videos too.

Post-Match Thoughts

Paul Tomkins

I'm not sure any club in England has had a harder start to this season than Liverpool, considering the opposition played and the situations faced.

Four games, with two away at Champions League sides (okay, one who dropped out along with the Reds this year but have spent a billion quid in 12 months), and one at home to a side who finished 7th but were top-four on form in the second half of the season; plus two of the four games played with only 10 men; and to have 10 points is better than you could have asked for, given the transfer chaos in the mix too (including going to Chelsea the day they’d just gazumped the Reds on two midfield targets).

Add playing at times with the third, fourth and fifth-choice centre-backs, including a kid on debut, and this really has been better than any normal 10 points from 12.

Contrast it to Chelsea playing three of their four games at home, and having one win all season, against Luton. Or Newcastle, with three defeats on the bounce.

This feels like a proper Liverpool team again; the new midfield purring, including Trent Alexander-Arnold moving into those areas.

There's energy and intent all over the pitch, and this was a totally dominant display of lovely, controlled football.

As Beez notes below, this many points after four games has always led to a title challenge for the Reds since the days just after Pako Ayestarán left the Liverpool dugout (2007), having been in the away dugout today.

The majority of my analysis and the analysis of the others follows for subscribers only.