Liverpool’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa was painful enough before Ollie Watkins explained exactly why he fancied his chances against us.
The Villa striker scored twice and assisted another as Arne Slot’s side were cut open far too easily again.
What followed from the 30-year-old only made the defensive picture look even more worrying.
🗣️ "They're disjointed at the back and there's a lot of space for me to run into"
OIlie Watkins loves scoring against Liverpool 😅 pic.twitter.com/Ez7PTtcx2x
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 15, 2026
Speaking to Sky Sports after Villa’s win, Watkins gave a blunt explanation of how he viewed Liverpool’s back line.
The England international said: “They play a high line and they don’t play offsides so they’re disjointed at the back and I feel like there’s a lot of space for me to run into.
“I always feel like I’m going to get opportunities against them, that’s no disrespect to them. The two centre backs are world class at the end of the day but I think I spot opportunities and spaces in between them.
“When it’s a high line like that I like to run in behind and create some danger for them.”
That is a damning insight because it wasn’t said in anger or arrogance, it was a striker calmly explaining that he expected Liverpool to give him chances.
Watkins backed that up with two goals, six shots and five efforts on target (via Sofascore), with Villa repeatedly finding space behind a team that looked fragile in and out of possession.
Virgil van Dijk scored twice from set pieces, which at least continued one of the few strengths Liverpool have shown this season.
Jamie Carragher even said after the game that “one thing they have excelled at has been set pieces”, but that doesn’t hide what happened at the other end.
David Lynch summed up the wider mood by saying this performance showed why so few Liverpool fans believe Slot can fix things without major change.
We had all but secured Champions League football weeks ago, yet now the final day carries nerves rather than simply being about saying goodbye to Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.
Watkins’ comments should hurt because they describe exactly what supporters are watching every week.
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We played a very high line under klopp and once got thrashed 7 -2 Watkins got a hatrick that day. It’s always a risk playing a high line, especially against a fast striker. If you want to dominate possession and control the game, you have to play a high line.
That though was a one off , most of the time under klopp we were good defensively, the high line worked because we held the line, playing offside. The midfield pressing the ball as well.
That’s the main difference between the high line that worked under klopp. Pressing, better midfield without the ball, better press from the front. Last night villa run 6km more than us and they’ve got a European cup final in a few days.
Just a reminder how good klopp was playing very risky high line. Much higher than slot with a sweeper keeper.
2019 premier league 97 points conceded 22 goals 2020 premier league 99 points conceded 33 goals 2022 premier league 92 points conceded 26 goals
Champions league winners Fa cup winners League cup winners twice Club world cup Super cup. Premier league winners All won with an Elite manager , shrewd signings, hard work ethic, heavy metal football, pressing. Control and the ability to defend. Everything we lack now under slot.
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