The first half was a nightmare for Liverpool, as Villa raced to a 4-1 lead. Ollie Watkins was the star, scoring a brilliant hat-trick, including two quick-fire goals that left the Liverpool defense and goalkeeper Alisson scrambling. Jack Grealish was also instrumental, contributing two goals and setting up three others, while John McGinn added a strike to complete Villa’s remarkable first-half tally.
Liverpool, who had been dominant in the Premier League under Jürgen Klopp, struggled to recover after an early goal from Sadio Mané. Their defensive issues were laid bare, with Alisson making crucial mistakes and the backline unable to handle Villa’s high-paced attack.
Villa’s 7-2 victory was their biggest-ever Premier League win and marked a shocking statement of intent. For Liverpool, it was a humbling defeat that highlighted the unpredictability of the Premier League, but they would recover to eventually secure the league title later that season. Nonetheless, the result remains one of the most astonishing in recent memory.
