Liverpool returned to Premier League action with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa but were made to work for the points in an engro sing encounter at Villa Park.The Reds went ahead with just five minutes on the clock as Mohamed Salah finished off a slick pa sing move and then doubled their advantage through Virgil van Dijk just past the half-hour mark.But that scoreline did not offer an entirely fair reflection of the contest up to that point, and the hosts more than merited the Ollie Watkins header that brought them back into the game in the second half.Unfortunately for Unai Emery, his side left themselves vulnerable to the counter as they pushed hard for Ugo Amadi Jersey an equaliser, and that openne s was punished as substitute Stefan Bajcetic sealed the win late in the day.MORE: 1H 2H Final Aston Villa011Liverpool213Goals:LIV Salah 5th minLIV Van Dijk 37th minVIL Watkins 59th minLIV Bajcetic 81stmin When strikers are regularly mi sing chances, it is customary to point out that they are, at the very least, getting in the positions to take shots.And that is certainly true of Darwin Nunez, who could arguably have taken two hat-trick balls home from Liverpool's first two outings since the World Cup.Unfortunately, the Uruguayan's finishing has left a lot to be desired, and he doesn't have a single goal to show for the raft of chances he has been involved in since returning from Qatar.This inability to kill opponents and a worrying tendency to stray offside are among the rough edges Klopp has wanted to knock off Nunez's game ever since he signed for the club.Worryingly, it seems like any progre s made on that front prior to the mid-season break has been squandered in the last few weeks, and the manager still has plenty of work to do.Vamos, Liverpool FC (@LFC) A failure to regularly control games was one of Liverpool's biggest weakne ses during the early part of the season, and it was thought that they would dedicate the break to working on correcting that flaw.However, their performances against Manchester City and Aston Villa suggest that there is still a long way to go.Both games descended into end-to-end slugfests that e sentially left the outcome to Tre Flowers Jersey a flip of the coin, and Klopp's men will lose as many as they win if this continues to be the case.Surely it is by this point impo sible to make the case that improvement on that front is likely without a January addition in central midfield. The more cynical elements of the Liverpool fanbase might believe that Klopp's use of Bajcetic here was a me sage to the club's owners regarding the need for reinforcements in the middle.But the Reds bo s has big faith in the teenager and no doubt saw an opportunity to use him as his more experienced heads tired in the face of a late Villa onslaught.That brave move was rewarded in the best po sible way, Bajcetic showing a composure that has been a feature of his rare first-team outings in slotting a vital third goal late on. Liverpool FC (@LFC) FULLTIME:The whistle sounds and Liverpool have made it three Premier League wins on the David Moore Jersey bounce for the first time this season.90th min:Substitute Ben Doak wins a corner with a mazy run on the right but Robertson's delivery is straight to Olsen.Four minutes to be added on.85th min:Dendoncker, Ings and Coutinho coming on for Villa, with Kamara, Buendia and Bailey all making way.Likely too little, too late now.81st min:GOAL!Liverpool have surely won it now!Gomez plays Nunez in down the left and, though the Uruguayan's pull back on the byline is pushed out by Olsen, it's straight to the arriving Bajcetic.The youngster subsequently takes a cool touch past the goalkeeper and then sidefoots the ball home through a collection of bodies. Very calmly done.A moment Stefan Bajcetic will never forget Just a couple of minutes after coming onto the pitch the teenager scores his first senior goal to restore Liverpool's two-goal cushion Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) :The 18-year-old impact sub Stefan Bajcetic scores his first Premier League goal! | : NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) :Stefan Bajcetic has his first senior goal for Liverpool. He's 18! He subbed on in the 79th. He scored in the 81st. What a moment. Optus Sport (@OptusSport) 78th min:Leon Bailey receiving some attention from the physio after an inadvertent clash with Robertson and so Liverpool take the chance to make two further changes.Henderson and Alexander-Arnold are off for Bajcetic and Gomez.75th min:Darwin Nunez dashes in behind after a lovely pick out from Salah but his woeful finishing streak continues with a poor one that slides a foot wide of the far post.That would have been the points in the bag for Liverpool.71st min:Liverpool work it around the Villa box after a much-needed spell of po se sion but Naby Keita's shot to finish off the move flies way over the bar.66th min:Two changes for Liverpool, Thiago and Oxlade-Chamberlain making way for Elliott and Keita.Jurgen Klopp needs these subs to work - his team are Nick Vannett Jersey all over the place.62nd min:Chaos at either end of the pitch!Liverpool waste a good opportunity when Nunez fails to find Salah with a pa s inside the Villa box and then the hosts go up the other end and have Watkins to blame for taking a shot when he had plenty of support on the break.59th min: GOAL!Aston Villa back in it and my how they have deserved it.Douglas Luiz swings a beauty of a cro s in from the right-hand side and Watkins leaps like a salmon the back post to nod the ball back beyond Ali son.What a header from Ollie Watkins Game on at Villa Park! Ezekiel Ansah Jersey Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) EXACTLY what Aston Villa needed to get back in the game. | : NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) 51st min:Salah breaks from a Liverpool corner to bear down on Olsen in the Villa goal but can't sort his feet out given the pace he is moving at and scuffs the finish.48th min:McGinn has a free header at the back post but can't generate any power on the effort after an awkward bounce and Ali son gratefully collects.Villa looking sharp at the start of this half.47th min:Watkins get in behind from a Buendia pa s after a slick pa sage of play from Villa but his excellent finish beyond Ali son won't be rewarded - the flag is up for offside.46th min:Back under way at Villa Park.HALFTIME:Villa have a free-kick in a dangerous area in the dying seconds of the half but it's wa