Crisis club Liverpool find themselves joint-second in the Premier League after picking up their first points since 20 September. Their recovery appears simple in that context and, thanks in no small part to the Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, it was the balm that Arne Slot wished for following the worst run of his Anfield reign. He knows it must be only a starting point.

Liverpool were deserving victors in the Premier League for the first time since beating Everton in the Merseyside derby as Villa proved the perfect guest at Anfield. A terrible mistake by Martínez presented Mohamed Salah with his 250th Liverpool goal before more poor Villa defending enabled Ryan Gravenberch to double the hosts’ advantage early in the second half. Slot’s name reverberated from the Kop as Liverpool banished the anxiety of six defeats in the previous seven games. It was also sung in the 24th minute with the game goalless and delicately balanced. The support was there for Liverpool’s head coach long before the victory.

Slot reverted as close as he could to last season’s title-winning team with Andy Robertson replacing the struggling Milos Kerkez and Gravenberch...