EPL: Champions Liverpool bounce back from Manchester City humiliation with Anfield win over Aston Villa

Liverpool players congragulate Sadio Mane on the opening goal. Photo credit: Getty

Champions Liverpool remain perfect at Anfield, after a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.

After their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City last week, the 'Reds' reignited the club's ambition for a record league points haul (100) held by City.

Juergen Klopp's side struggled to break down a determined Villa.

But Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the cross-bar.

Substitute Curtis Jones scored the second, a minute from the end, with the 19-year-old hooking home, after Mohamed Salah headed an Andy Robertson cross into his path.

Villa remain deep in relegation trouble, in 18th place on 27 points. 

City fall to Southampton 

Photo credit: Getty

Southampton's Che Adams scored his first Saints goal, a year after joining the club, with a stunning long-range strike as they beat Manchester City 1-0 to condemn Pep Guardiola's side to a third successive away defeat in the Premier League.

Adams signed for Southampton from Birmingham City for a reported 15 million pounds (NZ$18.72 million) in July 2019 and failed to score in his previous 24 league games for the team.

But after Oleksandr Zinchenko was robbed by Stuart Armstrong, Adams spotted City's Brazilian keeper Ederson far off his line and beat him with a beautiful lofted drive from over 30 metres out to put the home side ahead in the 16th minute.

Second-placed City, who beat champions Liverpool 4-0 in their last outing, responded with a wave of attacks and had 73% possession and 24 shots on goal but came up against mid-table Southampton's inspired goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

He saved a powerful drive from Raheem Sterling, a goal bound header from David Silva -- after Fernandinho struck the post -- and then kept out Riyad Mahrez with his feet.

While neither side had much at stake in the game, both fought for the points as if everything was on the line.

After the break, City's pressure intensified and Guardiola brought on Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden as he tried to find a way through a Southampton side who came into the game with the worst home record in the Premier League this season.

But the Saints defence, superbly marshalled by centre-halves Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek, held firm for a win that moves them up to 13th place in the table with 43 points from 33 games.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuettl hailed the victory as his side's best home performance in his time at the club and said they had been aware of the chance to expose Ederson.

"If you have a goalkeeper playing like him, as a libero, it is normal that he isn't always in his goal. Our goal was to be clinical and quick in your mind, and it was an unbelievable first touch and goal from Che," he said.

City remain on 66 points, 23 adrift of Liverpool and eight clear of third-placed Leicester City. Guardiola, who took over at The Etihad in 2016, had never lost three straight away league games before in his managerial career.

"We played really well, but made a few mistakes in our box and got punished," said the Spaniard. "Afterwards we created a lot but couldn't score and that's a little bit the story of our season in the Premier League. We played really, really well."

Newcastle hold Hammers to draw

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Elsewhere, Newcastle United twice came back from a goal down, as they grabbed a 2-2 draw with West Ham United, robbing the visitors of the chance to put some more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.

After losing their previous seven away league games, West Ham started the day three points above the drop zone and got off to the perfect start, when Michail Antonio opened the scoring from a mistake by Jamaal Lascelles after four minutes.

Newcastle levelled in the 17th minute through Miguel Almiron, who swept home Emil Krafth's cross after a slick passing move by the home side.

They went behind again in the 66th minute, when midfielder Tomas Soucek fired home a rebound, after Declan Rice hit the crossbar with a header from a corner, with Soucek reacting quickest to volley the ball into the net.

The lead was short-lived, as Jonjo Shelvey struck back immediately for Newcastle, dancing through the visitors' defence, before slotting home with his left foot to make it 2-2.

Having been pegged back twice, West Ham surged forward looking for the win and substitute Andriy Yarmolenko went closest with a stinging late shot that Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka palmed away.

Despite securing their first points away from home since they beat Southampton on December 15, the ease with which Shelvey sliced through his defence left Hammers boss David Moyes shaking his head in disbelief.

"I was sickened because of us working so hard to get a goal back and then gave it up so quickly," Moyes told a news conference.

"I am pleased we got something but disappointed it wasn't all three (points). This could still easily go right to the end of the season," he added.

In Monday morning's early game, Burmey and Sheffield United drew 1-1.

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