‘Beautiful play’ by Liverpool frustrates opposing coach with a clever move

Liverpool stopped their run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield, yet it was a funny incident late in the game that truly captured the attention of social media.

In the 87th minute, as Aston Villa was pushing hard to equalize, Szoboszlai unexpectedly made the entire stadium laugh. During a throw-in, coach Unai Emery deliberately picked up the ball and threw it back to quickly resume play. However, the Hungarian midfielder intentionally let the ball drop, then skillfully pulled it back towards himself with a clever drag move.

This action not only angered Emery but also interrupted the flow of the game. The Spanish coach immediately reacted by approaching Szoboszlai and lightly pushing him away in frustration. Referee Stuart Attwell quickly stepped in, issuing yellow cards to both players—Szoboszlai for time-wasting and Emery for his aggressive response.

This incident quickly became a hot topic on social media, with many fans expressing amusement mixed with humor over the "mental game" between the two figures.

One user wrote: “Szoboszlai really got under Emery’s skin haha.”

Another commented: “Classic Premier League—intense yet entertaining.”

Meanwhile, another fan said: “Unai has had enough; Szoboszlai is definitely teasing him to the end.”

Despite receiving a yellow card, Szoboszlai played a significant role in Liverpool’s 2-0 win. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 45+1 minute with his 250th goal for the “Reds,” marking a historic milestone for the club. In the second half, Ryan Gravenberch doubled the lead with a shot that deflected, sealing a convincing victory for the home side at Anfield.

With this result, Arne Slot’s squad temporarily rose to third place in the Premier League standings, ending their four-match losing streak. This victory serves as a valuable morale boost before Liverpool faces two crucial games: hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League midweek and traveling to Manchester City on November 9th.

For Aston Villa, this defeat means missing the chance to catch up with the top teams. They will need to quickly recover their spirit as they prepare for their Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv next Friday.