'Done well': Stuart Pearce hails 'under the radar' Liverpool player after what he did against Aston Villa
11/09/2024 05:15 PM
Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 win against Aston Villa at Anfield as they go into the international break as the Premier League leaders.
The Reds are currently five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table after Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier today.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 1 | LiverpoolLiverpool | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 | Man CityManchester City | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 | Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 | ChelseaChelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
Darwin Nunez broke the deadlock with a good finish to cap off a brilliant counter-attack and Mohamed Salah put the game beyond reasonable doubt with a late goal.
However, Aston Villa had their chances to claw their way back into the game, particularly in the first half, but it just didn’t happen for them.
And Stuart Pearce has singled out one Liverpool player for special praise after his heroics in the first half at Anfield.
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher praised for his first-half save
Caoimhin Kelleher was praised for his performance for Liverpool vs Brighton and once again took centre stage in the first half against Villa.
Late in the first half, Villa had the chance to equalise from a corner as Diego Carlos brilliantly got ahead of the Liverpool players to connect with the cross.
However, Kelleher was alive to the danger and made a stunning close-range save to deny Villa a certain goal to draw level.
Pearce praised the Irish goalkeeper for his performances this season, admitting that he has more than held his own in Alisson Becker’s injury absence.
Speaking about Kelleher on talkSPORT, he said: "I have got to say. Obviously, Alisson is one of the top goalkeepers in the world, but this fellow has done well, hasn't he, since he has come in?
“Goes under the radar a little bit, but he has been pretty solid. Very good."
Kelleher’s stats vs Aston Villa
Kelleher kept his second Premier League clean sheet for Liverpool and was virtually untroubled in the second half as the Reds kept Villa at bay with a fantastic defensive display.
His underlying numbers from the game are as follows:
- 2 high claims
- 2 saves
- 34 touches (78% pass accuracy)
- 2 long balls completed
The Irishman has continued to grow in stature in Alisson’s absence, although he could return to the bench after the international break if the Brazilian is back from injury.
