Rio Ferdinand analyzes after Aston Villa's crushing victory over Liverpool, moving up to 4th place in the 2025-26 English Premier League.
On 16 May 2026, renowned football analyst Rio Ferdinand reviewed the game in which Aston Villa, led by Spanish manager Unai Emery, hosted and thrashed Liverpool, managed by Dutch coach Arne Slot, with a 4-2 scoreline, overtaking them to claim 4th place in the 2025-26 English Premier League.
Rio Ferdinand said, “I remember a time when Jamie Carragher almost suggested that Mohamed Salah was part of Liverpool's problem. Honestly, that really annoyed me because watching Liverpool now, whenever Mohamed Salah is absent or doesn't perform at his best, the entire attacking identity disappears.”
“In such cases, the team's attack lacks aggression, menace, and confidence, which says it all. What helped Arne Slot adapt quickly to Liverpool was Salah playing at a world-class standard every week. That consistency covered a lot, but now look at what happened in the game against Aston Villa.”
“Aston Villa spent far less money than Liverpool but played completely better, and now they seem likely to finish higher in the table. There's no excuse for this because when the absence of one player can change the entire attacking identity so much, maybe people still don't appreciate him enough. I hope Jamie sits down and understands what Salah carries in that game.”