United News of Bangladesh

Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League, defeating Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday. The night brought extra joy for the Reds’ fans as Mohamed Salah reached a major milestone, scoring his 250th goal for the club across all competitions. The Egyptian star put Liverpool ahead following a rare error by Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, and Ryan Gravenberch later sealed the victory. Salah became only the third Liverpool player to reach 250 goals in all competitions, joining club legends Roger Hunt (285) and Ian Rush (346). The victory also ended a poor run for Arne Slot’s men, who had lost six of their previous seven matches across all competitions. After four consecutive league defeats, Liverpool finally tasted victory, while Villa suffered their first defeat following four straight league wins. With this win, Liverpool moved up to third in the Premier League with 18 points from ten matches. Bournemouth, with the same points but one game fewer, sit second, while Arsenal lead the table with 25 points from ten matches. Aston Villa are in 11th place with 15 points. Liverpool dominated possession with 54 percent and created 16 shots, four of which were on target. Villa managed ten shots, three on target. Villa could have taken an early lead in the fifth minute when English winger Morgan Rogers’ powerful effort from outside the box hit the post. In the 19th minute, Matty Cash’s shot was saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool’s Dominic Szoboszlai had a chance in the 23rd minute after a Villa error, but Martínez kept the goal intact. He denied another attempt from Szoboszlai in the 33rd minute. In the 43rd minute, Hugo Ekitike headed the ball into Villa’s net, but the effort was ruled out for offside. In the first minute of added time in the first half, Martínez made a critical mistake that allowed Liverpool to take the lead. Receiving a back-pass from defender Pau Torres, Martínez miscontrolled the ball while attempting a return pass; it was not directed toward Torres. Salah reacted quickly to find the net with a tap-in, leaving Martínez helpless. Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. From outside the box, Gravenberch’s shot, set up by Alexis Mac Allister, deflected off Torres and went into the net. Both sides had chances in the remaining minutes, but neither could convert. Earlier in the night, Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0, moving into fifth place with 17 points from ten matches. Tottenham, with the same points, sit fourth.

Aston Villa and Chelsea boosted their chances of securing a top-five Premier League finish — and a spot in next season’s Champions League — with home victories on Friday. Villa earned a 2-0 win against a weakened Tottenham Hotspur side, with goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara. Meanwhile, Chelsea edged past a resilient Manchester United team, claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from Marc Cucurella. The results saw Chelsea climb to fourth place with 66 points, just ahead of Villa in fifth on goal difference. The other teams fighting for one of the four Champions League spots after league winner Liverpool all have two games left to play. Arsenal has 68 points, Newcastle 66, Manchester City 65, and Nottingham Forest 62. On a tense night at Villa Park, the home side had the better of the play but was forced to wait until the 59th minute to get the opener. Ollie Watkins steered John McGinn’s corner back across goal and an unmarked Ezri Konsa turned in the ball. Boubacar Kamara doubled the lead with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area. It was his first Premier League goal in his 69th game. “We knew today was a must win,” the Frenchman told broadcaster Sky Sports. “We want to play Champions League football again. … We had a taste of it this season and us as players it’s a competition you want to play in.” Villa's final match is against Man United at Old Trafford on May 25. Friday’s win was Villa’s eighth in its last nine league matches and extended its unbeaten home run to 21 games in all competitions, its best since 1977. Meanwhile, at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea woke up after a dull first half when Spanish defender Cucurella headed home Reece James' cross after 71 minutes. BPL Football: Dhaka Mohammedan close to their first-ever title beating Chattagram Abahani Spurs and Man United went into the matches with one eye on next week's Europa League final. Both coaches rested some regular starters and got through the night without any new injury worries. Both of Friday's matches were brought forward by 48 hours to allow the sides more time to prepare for the final on Wednesday in Bilbao.