Curtis strikes as Villa boss rues big chance

DEAN SMITH won’t have banked on getting points at Anfield as he tries to get Aston Villa out of trouble.

But, after taking on the newly crowned champions, the Villa boss will know this was a real chance to boost his side’s hopes of survival. It was one they didn’t take. If Smith’s side end up going down then there will be worse defeats blamed for their return to the Championship.

But they had a real opportunity to become the first team to beat Liverpool at Anfield in the league since Crystal Palace in April 2017.

Not many get the chance to face a Jurgen Klopp side so below par on home turf.

But the Reds still extended run to 57 games and have now won the last 24 in a row in their own backyard.

That was thanks to Sadio Mane’s strike and a fine finish from teenager Curtis

Jones late on.

This was not

Klopp’s side at their best. Far that from it, in fact. That will be down to them already having achieved their ambition for this season, of course. It was up to Villa to take advantage of facing Liverpool 10 days after they were crowned Premier League champions and hot on the heels of a four-goal thrashing at the hands of Manchester City. Smith’s side will regret not being more daring. After a very dull start, officials wiped down the goalposts as per protocol at the first drinks

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PERFECT 10: Sadio Mane slots in Liverpool’s opener while (above) Jurgen Klopp commiserates with Jack Grealish break. They needn’t have bothered. Nobody had been near them for the first 25 minutes.

Villa were well organised struggled to make chances.

Klopp made three changes from the 4-0 defeat by City on Thursday – Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-chamberlain and Divock Origi replaced Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino.

But the Reds still looked leggy and jaded with too many misplaced passes.

Obviously they can be forgiven considering they have ended their long wait for a league title.

Their only real motivation now is to break City’s record 100-point tally for a top-flight season.

Villa’s first attempt at Alisson was a poor strike from Douglas Luiz which was straight at the grateful Reds keeper.

Liverpool’s first shot on target was but even tamer as Mo Salah snatched at a volley which former Reds keeper Pepe Reina easily saved.

The only positive from the opening 45 minutes was that the second half couldn’t be as bad.

Villa had a good chance after the break when Jack Grealish broke away and slid the ball outside to Anwar El Ghazi but his strike was easy for Alisson to push away at the near post.

Klopp turned to Henderson, Wijnaldum and Firmino from the subs’ bench in a bid to bring some organisation to his side.

But it was Mane who broke the deadlock in the 71st minute. Trent Alexander-arnold found Keita in the area and he was given too much time to stop and fizz the ball across to Mane.

The Senegal star lashed home off the underside of the bar to give Reina no chance.

Substitute Jones then got the chance to celebrate the new contract he signed on Saturday with his first Premier League goal.

He started the attack before completing the move when Mo Salah nodded down Andy Robertson’s cross to him with a minute to go.