Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday to win their third Premier League match.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s first Reds goal, a powerful 18-yard shot, put the home team up inside three minutes.

That was followed by a Matty Cash own goal caused by Darwin Nunez’s shot against the post in the first half, and Mohamed Salah scored a third after the break off a Nunez knockdown.

Nunez began in attack after his match-winning brace last weekend, Joe Gomez replaced the banned Virgil van Dijk, and Curtis Jones started in midfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold captained.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold (Quansah, 71), Gomez, Matip, Robertson, Mac Allister (Endo, 87), Jones (Elliott, 65), Szoboszlai, Diaz (Jota, 65), Salah, Nunez.

Unused subs: Kelleher, Tsimikas, Bajcetic, Doak.

First half

The Reds sought a third straight Premier League win on a sunny day at Anfield.

Their start was fantastic.

Alexander-Arnold’s right-wing corner was only half cleared, and Szoboszlai connected with the loose ball at the outside of the box for a first-time finish inside the right post.

As Villa tried to retaliate, Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson had to interfere in their own area, and Ezri Konsa stopped Luis Diaz following Alexander-Arnold’s diagonal pass.

Liverpool scored again shortly after.

Salah ran in behind to catch a ball over the top and feed Nunez. The No.9’s finish hit the near post but deflected off Cash and into the net.

The Reds deserved the lead, and Joel Matip missed a golden opportunity from Alexander-Arnold’s set-piece before halftime.

After a Villa counter-attack, John McGinn blasted high into the Kop, and Konsa blocked a goalbound Nunez attempt.

After McGinn dummied Lucas Digne’s left-wing cross, Ollie Watkins shot wide as halftime approached.

Nunez and Salah evaded an offside and put in Salah for a tight angle dink that struck the crossbar seconds later. Villa cleared the rebound before Diaz could score.

The second half

Soon after the restart, both sides threatened similarly.

First, Alisson Becker had to save a Cash header from his goalline after Digne’s long cross from the left.

In the aftermath, the hosts broke away and Salah’s outside-of-the-boot pass for Nunez went wide of the far post.

In minute 55, the same duo extended their lead to three. Nunez flicked on Robertson’s right-wing corner, and Salah scored from close range.

Klopp then substituted Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, and Diogo Jota.

Alexander-Arnold threw a long-range shot too high after a good solo move from his own half before limping off injured.

The dangerous Salah shot was saved by Emiliano Martinez, while Elliott’s shot from the cleared corner deflected off target.

With an international break, Liverpool had already secured a third Premier League victory in four this season.