Key events13m agoHalf time: Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool22m agoGOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool (Rogers 42)37m ago27 min: Disallowed goal for Liverpool2h agoTeam news: Salah on the bench3h agoPreambleShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature46 min Villa begin the second half. They’ve brought on Ross Barkley for Victor Lindelof at the break.“When Szoboszlai hits a ball, it stays hit, as they say,” begins Matt Dony. “He’s got such tremendous technique, and although it’s a different sort of action to Trent, it’s still tremendously aesthetically pleasing. As rough as this season has been, just imagine how much worse it would have been without Dom’s efforts. Seems like a good bloke, too. And frustratingly handsome. What a man. Build the team around him next season. He makes things tick.”All true, but I want to go back to your first sentence. Who are they? And how do we know we can trust them? Because they do say an awful lot and I’m starting to wonder.Half-time readingPopcorn, please!Half time: Aston Villa 1-0 LiverpoolMorgan Rogers’ fine goal separates the teams at Villa Park. It was an even first half overall, but Villa have the advantage. If it stays like this, they will qualify for the Champions League.45+3 min Watkins is booked for playing on, and putting the ball in the net, after being given offside.45 min Three minutes of added time.44 min On Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher is wondering whether Mamardashvili might have done better with the goal. He was very close to getting a touch, and it might be that he saw the ball late as it came around a Liverpool defender.Villa won a corner on the left, taken by Digne. He clipped the ball a long way back to McGinn, who returned the ball to Digne on the left. While they were doing that dance, Rogers sneaked into space on the left side of the area. Digne found him with a simple pass infield, and Rogers opened his body to shape a curler into the far corner. Lovely stuff.Morgan Rogers shoots … Photograph: Kieran McManus/ShutterstockThe ball evades the dive by Liverpool keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and Aston Villa have the lead. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPARogers and the Villa fans are jubilant. Photograph: Jacob King/PAGOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool (Rogers 42)Villa take the lead through a brilliant goal from Morgan Rogers!41 min Rogers runs down the right and hits a terrific first-time cross that bounces across the six-yard box. Gomez clears at the far post.38 min Cash is booked for a late tackle on Kerkez.37 min Liverpool continue to dominate. Villa have been unable to feed Watkins on the break, with Rogers looking a bit subdued.33 min Szoboszlai clips a cross into a very crowded six-yard box. It’s met ahead of the near post by Mac Allister, who heads over and punches the air in frustration.31 min Szoboszlai moves to within 30 yards of goal and cuts across a spectacular shot that is pushed away by Martinez as he dives to his left. Lovely effort and a pretty good save.30 min Villa were the better team early on but Liverpool are on top now.27 min: Disallowed goal for LiverpoolGravenberch’s curler from 20 yards bounces awkwardly in front of Martinez, who spills it straight to the feet of Gakpo. He puts it away but is then flagged offside.Liverpool's Cody Gakpo tucks the ball away but is thwarted by the offside flag. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters25 min Ngumoha zips infield from the left and tries a curler from 25 yards. Over the bar.23 min A bit of a scramble in the Villa area ends with Gakpo going down under a challenge from Konsa. Liverpool appeal for a penalty; Chris Kavanagh says no.22 min “Little though I care about what happens with Liverpool, I’m with you on Slot deserving another year before being judged,” says Geoff Wignall. “Aside from all the injuries and the emotional fallout from Diogo Jota’s death, that sad event also destroyed their pre-season pretty much entirely - at a time of trying to integrate several new players.“I don’t think their recruitment was necessarily the greatest, but without a pre-season and with all the subsequent disruptions from injuries it’s a bit harsh for anyone to demand total cohesion and consistency.”20 min Gomez, who has never scored in senior football, shoots over from distance.Liverpool's Joe Gomez (left) looks to lose his footing as he attempts a shot on goal. Photograph: Jacob King/PA18 min Van Dijk clips a fine pass over the defence towards Ngumoha. His first touch takes the ball square rather than towards goal, which allows Cash to clear the danger.14 min I forgot to say that Watkins is back on and looks okay. In fact he’s been the most dangerous attacker so far, causing Liverpool a lot of problems with his pace and movement.13 min Tielemans takes the free-kick short to Cash, whose stinging shot is blocked by a Liverpool defender.11 min Mamardashvili runs outside his area to intercept a long pass, only to fluff his clearance straight to Rogers. There’s no chance of a shot so Rogers sweeps a cross that is half cleared by Konate. Villa regain possession and Buendia is fouled just outside the area on the left by Gomez.Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers (right) goes past Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Photograph: David Davies/PA10 min Watkins is walking to the touchline holding either his side or his back. It looks like he wants to continue.9 min This is a big concern for Villa ahead of the Europa League final against Freiburg. It looks like it might be a hip problem.8 min Watkins makes an excellent channel run to receive a pass from Buendia on the left side of the area. He cuts back inside Van Dijk, beating him quite easily, but then slices a shot over the bar. I think Van Dijk leaned into Watkins, who has stayed down and looks in a fair bit of pain.Ollie Watkins looks pained. Photograph: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock6 min Kerkez combines well with Ngumoha and lifts a deep cross that is headed away by his fellow left-back Digne. Liverpool are monopolising possession; Villa look good on the break.3 min Liverpool have started with Jones, rather than Szoboszlai, on the right of midfield.2 min Rogers collects possession inside the Liverpool half and sets off on a diagonal run, covering 50 yards before playing the ball inside to Watkins on the edge of the area. Watkins’ smart shot on the turn is held to his right by Mamardashvili. 2 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “A game that ends 5-4 is a nine-goal thriller. Think PSG v Bayern, East Fife v Forfar. A 6-3 might also qualify, depending on circumstances. England v Hungary. Southampton v Man United. A 7-2 is not a nine-goal thriller. I was at Tannadice a few years ago when Dundee United lost 9-0 to Celtic. Thrilling it was not.”1 min Peep peep! Liverpool kick off from right to left as we watch.The players have lined up for the pre-match formalities. It’s a lovely, sunkissed evening in Aston. Gotta love night matches that begin in daylight.Pyrotechnics and sunshine at Villa Park. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/ReutersAlongside a tifo dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah. Photograph: David Davies/PA“Right Rob, let’s get down to brass tacks – Slot, should he be shown the door or given another year?” asks Peadar de Burca. “On the evidence of, let’s say, the last ten games, you’d have to say that the Liverpool manager has been found wanting. That extra little bit of innovation or rough magic hasn’t been there. A lot of talent at the top end of the team and you get the feeling a good manager could have shaped those players into something sharper, as opposed to the butter knife attack we’ve mostly seen. So, give him the boot?“Well, this is a Liverpool team in transition. I suspect the owners, no mugs, had this in mind back in July after Diogo Jota’s tragic death and saw this as a year to acquire some serious talent, let them bed in with the real aim being the 2026-27 season. You’d hope Jeremy Jacquet will be joined by one or two more defensively minded players and the team will have more balance. The team will have had time to become a team. Let’s not judge Slot now, but in eight months’ time when Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz and Ngumoha are able to read each other’s minds.“Having said that, if they lose tonight, I’ll be effing and jeffing like the cranky, bald Irishman I am.”I think he has more than enough credit in the bank to get another year, but I also know I’m in the minority.Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts