BIRMINGHAM (Interstat) — Ollie Watkins scored twice and set up another goal as Aston Villa defeated Liverpool 4-2 in a Premier League opener Friday at Villa Park.

Watkins, a forward, delivered the decisive performance with two goals and an assist. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in the 42nd minute before Liverpool substitute Virgil van Dijk equalized in the 52nd minute. Watkins restored Aston Villa’s lead in the 57th minute and added a second in the 73rd minute. John McGinn made it 4-1 in the 89th minute before van Dijk scored again deep into stoppage time in the 90th plus second minute.

The victory gave Aston Villa a 1-0 record in the Premier League and across all competitions. Liverpool fell to 0-1 in the league and overall.

McGinn, a midfielder, contributed a goal and an assist. Rogers, a forward, scored once. Defender Matty Cash had an assist, and substitute Joe Gomez also provided an assist for Liverpool’s second goal.

Yellow cards were issued to Cash in the 39th minute, Watkins in the 45th plus third minute of first-half stoppage time, Gomez in the 62nd minute and McGinn in the 66th minute.

Aston Villa, playing at home in front of a capacity crowd, controlled much of the match after Watkins’ first goal. Liverpool struggled to contain Villa’s attacking trio of Watkins, Rogers and McGinn.

The early stages were tightly contested, with both sides exchanging possession and testing the opposing defenses. Cash’s booking in the 39th minute came after a late challenge, but Villa continued to press forward. Two minutes later, McGinn played a through ball that Rogers slotted past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker to break the deadlock.

Liverpool responded shortly after halftime. Van Dijk, a center back who entered as a substitute, nodded home a corner kick from Gomez in the 52nd minute to level the score at 1-1. The equalizer did not unsettle Villa. Watkins capitalized on a defensive lapse in the 57th minute, collecting a pass from Cash and firing low into the far corner.

Watkins then converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute after being fouled inside the area, making it 3-1. McGinn added a fourth goal in the 89th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the box, assisted by Watkins.

Van Dijk struck again in second-half stoppage time with a header from a free kick, but Villa held on to secure the three points. The result marked a strong start for Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery, while Liverpool’s new campaign began with disappointment.

Liverpool, a perennial title contender under manager Arne Slot, lacked sharpness at times and were punished by Villa’s relentless pressing. Watkins’ brace and overall influence underscored his importance to the hosts. He was involved in three of Villa’s four goals.

The match saw a total of four yellow cards but no red cards. Both teams committed 10 fouls each, according to official statistics. Villa recorded 12 shots on goal to Liverpool’s eight.

Aston Villa’s season record in the competition is now one win and no losses. Liverpool’s season record in the competition is now no wins and one loss. The results mirrored the overall records across all competitions for both clubs.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Liverpool 2, Aston Villa 1. Interstat’s ELO system had given Liverpool an 80.80 percent probability to win.