Mohamed Salah scored his 250th Liverpool goal as the Reds ended their four-game Premier League losing streak with victory over Aston Villa.

The 33-year-old Egyptian could not believe his luck when he was gifted the ball from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's poor clearance before firing low into the unguarded net in first-half added time.

Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, back after missing three games with an ankle injury, sealed the three points in the 58th minute with a 20-yard shot that deflected in off Pau Torres to leave Martinez with no chance.

Salah's goal meant he joined Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in becoming only the third Liverpool player to ever score 250 goals in all competitions for the club.

After spells in both the 1980s and 1990s, Wales icon Rush is their all-time record scorer with 346 goals, while former England striker Hunt struck 285 times in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Villa, who were aiming for a fifth successive league victory after failing to win in their opening five games of the campaign, twice hit the woodwork in the first half of a hugely entertaining match at a passionate and noisy Anfield.

England's Morgan Rogers cut inside from the left flank and curled a fine 20-yard effort that thudded against the right-hand post in only the fifth minute, before Matty Cash's effort deflected off Virgil van Dijk with home keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili touching the ball on to the bar.

Liverpool's success, their first in the league since a 2-1 victory over Everton on 20 September, took the reigning champions up to third in the table, although they are seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

The Reds came into this match with four league defeats in a row, aiming to avoid five in a row for the first time since September 1953.

Boss Arne Slot had come under fire for making 10 changes for the 3-0 reversal against Crystal Palace in the midweek Carabao Cup tie, including three teenagers in the starting line-up and five more among the substitutes.

His justification was a challenging run of fixtures, with this match followed by games against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday and then at Manchester City in the Premier League next Sunday.

Captain Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Salah and Hugo Ekitike all returned, with Slot also resorting to a back four after he had used three centre-halves against Palace.

Even though Liverpool had lost six of their past seven games in all competitions before this game, the home fans continued to give Slot their full backing, with the Kop launching into a loud 'Arne Slot' chant, which quickly spread around the ground when the game was goalless, before repeating it throughout the second half.

The players benefited from the support too as they ended the first half strongly to take the crucial lead. Before Salah's strike, Martinez twice denied Szoboszlai, while Ekitike was ruled offside after he headed into the net.

Liverpool were also the better side throughout the second half and the impressive Gravenberch confirmed their controlled performance with the second goal, while they also secured a much-needed first league clean sheet since 14 September at Burnley.

The Anfield crowd chanted 'champions, champions' at the end, but the fans will have to wait to see if this is the turning point for the title holders.

For Villa, their recent fortunes had been the opposite of Liverpool with no victories in their first five games followed by four on the bounce - including at Tottenham and at home to Manchester City - to sit on the same points as their hosts going into their encounter.

Unai Emery's side had won just one of their last previous 15 Premier League games against the Reds, but were unlucky not to lead first, denied by the woodwork on two occasions.

But the goals they conceded will leave boss Emery unhappy.

It was a costly poor clearance from Martinez for the first - and coming just before half-time. The second followed an aimless Torres clearance that tamely handed possession to the hosts, who punished them again.

Emery will not be satisfied either with his side's second-half efforts - a Donyell Malen drive flashing wide the only thing to get excited about in an attacking sense.

The Spanish boss picked up a late booking himself on a frustrating evening as his side dropped to 11th place.

It is a big week for Liverpool as they entertain Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, 4 November (20:00 BST), before visiting Manchester City on Sunday in the Premier League (16:30 GMT).

Aston Villa also have a European game next up as they host Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, 6 November (20:00 GMT). That is followed by a home league game against Bournemouth on Sunday, 9 November (14:00 GMT).