Liverpool’s 100 percent start to the Premier League season came to an end in stunning fashion as Ollie Watkins’s first- half hat- trick helped Aston Villa thrash the English champions 7 – 2 on Sunday.
Aston Villa deservedly stunned champions Liverpool with one of the most unbelievable scorelines in Premier League history.
Former Brentford striker Watkins had never scored a Premier League goal before kick-off and 45 minutes later he had the match ball, as Villa took advantage of Liverpool’s high line and individual mistakes.
Villa’s first was the result of a huge error by Adrian. The Reds stand-in keeper passed the ball straight to Grealish, who cut it back for Watkins to side-foot in from eight yards.
Watkins’ second was excellent as he cut in from the left and smashed into the top corner.
Mohamed Salah looked to have restored order when he scored for the Reds, but John McGinn’s deflected volley two minutes later put Villa’s lead back to two.
It got even better when Watkins headed in from Trezeguet’s cross to become the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick against Liverpool since Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United 10 years ago.
Villa debutant Ross Barkley, a boyhood Evertonian, was excellent and added a fifth after the break from just outside the box – from Grealish’s third assist.
Salah made it 5-2 from Roberto Firmino’s pass on the hour-mark but then Grealish smashed in Villa’s sixth before latching onto McGinn’s raking pass to add another.
There have been many surprising results this season – including Tottenham’s 6-1 win at Manchester United earlier on Sunday – but none can beat this for sheer shock value.