5 talking points from Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa

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Liverpool continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Reds started off brilliantly as Dominik Szoboszlai smashed home his first Liverpool goal with a stunning left-footed strike following a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner.

Jürgen Klopp’s men doubled their lead in the 22nd minute after Darwin Núñez’s shot rebounded off the post and onto Matty Cash who could do nothing as the ball deflected into an empty net.

Ten minutes into the second half, Liverpool put the game to bed, after an Andy Robertson corner was flicked on at the front post by Núñez for Mohamed Salah to tap home.

Here are the five main talking points from this afternoon’s match at Anfield.

1) Szo-BOSS-lai - again

What a signing this man has been for the Reds - and we’re only four games in.

Joining for a £60-million fee from RB Leipzig, some eyebrows were surely raised by the price tag. However, the Hungarian hasn’t let Liverpool down one bit.

Opening the scoring in the third minute for the Reds with a brilliant strike set the tone for the 22-year-old's game: his high-energy pressing, accompanied by powerful ventures forward and expert vision makes for a brilliant all-round midfielder.

His presence today all across the pitch has set the bar incredibly high. And with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch alongside him, expect the Hungarian to fly.

2) Salah distracted? No chance!

After Liverpool turned down a £150m offer this week from Al-Ittihad, it would be understandable to see a slightly distracted Salah today. But that certainly wasn’t the case.

From minute one, the Egyptian was at his best, linking up brilliantly with Núñez and Alexander-Arnold on the right-hand side of the pitch.

Perhaps unlucky not to get an assist after Núñez's shot for the second goal struck the post, the only thought in the 31-year-old's mind today was Liverpool.

Salah finished off his performance with a goal, latching on to a great Núñez flick-on at the front post to tap home.

Who knows what might happen in the next week as the Saudi Arabia transfer window remains open, but for now, Salah is a Liverpool player, and I can’t see him going anywhere.

£300m and maybe we’ll lend him to you for a game.

3) Gomez showing positive signs

Given his injury record and decline in confidence over the years, you’d be forgiven for having mixed feelings when you saw Gomez’s name in the line-up today  - but he was brilliant.

Coming on in the first half against Newcastle last week would’ve been incredibly tough for the 26-year-old, but he was immense.

Today, he continued that form, giving the likes of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby no chance with the ball at their feet.

In the air, Liverpool didn’t have the best day in defence as the majority of Aston Villa's chances came from crosses, but with the pending return of Virgil van Dijk, a partnership of the club captain and Gomez could be mouthwatering once again.

4) Núñez wasteful... but don’t panic

Darwin Núñez had two shots last week away to Newcastle and fired them both home. Today, he had five and, on a different day, probably could have scored all of them.

It wasn’t the homecoming that the Uruguayan was expecting, who hit the post, crossbar and had a header fly past an open net.

The 24-year-old still had a very influential game for Liverpool; he was awarded an assist for Matty Cash’s own goal before flicking a great header to Salah to finish the game.

5) Alexander-Arnold scare

After his nervy first-half performance at Newcastle last weekend, Trent Alexander-Arnold had a much-improved game today for the Reds.

In addition to teeing up Szoboszlai's opener, Trent was imperious as he whipped beautiful balls all around the pitch, as well as a stunning ball to Salah in the lead-up to Liverpool’s second. In fact, it was a great performance from the Reds’ stand-in captain.

However, Klopp will certainly have been concerned when he limped off in the 71st minute, after going down off the ball.

Fingers will be crossed that it was only as a precaution, as the 24-year-old will be key in whatever goals Liverpool have set themselves this season.

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