Diogo Jota also missed a brilliant first-half chance for Liverpool, who seized the lead through Mohamed Salah before goals by Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins put Villa – for whom Marcus Rashford made his first start since joining on loan from Manchester United – in front at the interval.
Then Rashford flew down the left flank, played a one-two with Asensio, also making his first Villa start, and Rashford’s low cross cannoned off a Liverpool defender into the back of Alisson’s net.
Andrés García, the right-back Villa signed from Levante last month, played a blind backward pass straight to Jota, lurking outside the 18-yard box, and the Liverpool forward took a pace or two before squaring for Salah to convert his cross from close range.
Virgil van Dijk walloped a shot over the bar after collecting Alexander-Arnold’s improvised outside-of-the boot pass and the next minute Tyrone Mings made a couple of important interventions, first to block Diogo Jota’s shot and then Andy Robertson’s cross.
Robertson saw a shot deflected wide at the back post after magnificent, intricate footwork by Salah in the box and Jota sent a header wide from a superb whipped Robertson cross.
