Liverpool ended their four-game losing run in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield, helped by Mohamed Salah's 250th goal for the club.
The defending champions sat 10th in the table ahead of kick-off and survived a huge scare early on as Villa's Morgan Rogers rattled the post.
But a misplaced pass from Emiliano Martinez gifted Salah his landmark goal in first-half stoppage time, also ensuring the Egyptian equalled Wayne Rooney's record for the most Premier League goal involvements for a single club.
Arne Slot's men looked to have their confidence back in the second half, and a deflected strike from the returning Ryan Gravenberch sealed the points in the 58th minute.
The win sees Liverpool climb to third, though they are still seven points behind leaders Arsenal and could drop out of the top four by the end of Monday. Villa are 11th, three points behind them.
How the match unfolded
Villa went agonisingly close to a fifth-minute opener when Rogers curled an effort against Giorgi Mamardashvili's left upright, while a deflected shot from Matty Cash almost crept into the top-right corner.
Rogers saw another effort repelled by Mamardashvili, and at the other end, Hugo Ekitike nodded Dominik Szoboszlai's deep cross home in the 43rd minute, though it was ruled out for offside.
But there would be no reprieve for Villa one minute into first-half stoppage time as Martinez played a pass straight to Salah, who gratefully finished first-time into the gaping net.
Buoyed by that goal, Liverpool upped the ante in the second half and doubled their lead when Gravenberch's effort beat Martinez via a cruel deflection off Pau Torres.
Ian Maatsen's clearance prevented Ekitike from finding Salah for a simple headed finish, while Ross Barkley lifted over on the turn for Villa, who lost their way in the closing stages.
Luck finally shines on Liverpool
It has been a while since Liverpool were considered a club in crisis. But after four straight Premier League defeats, and a meek EFL Cup exit at the hands of Crystal Palace, those in attendance at Anfield were under no illusions as to the importance of Saturday's game.
Another defeat would have ensured Liverpool ended the weekend in the bottom half of the table, and the tension was palpable on Merseyside.
In addition to Rogers striking the upright and Mamardashvili making two important saves, Virgil van Dijk had to make a heroic block to deny Evann Guessand, following some sloppy play from Ibrahima Konate.
But sometimes, a piece of luck – or two – is all a team needs to get out of a rut. Martinez's wayward pass fell directly at the feet of Salah, and of the 250 goals the Egyptian has scored in a Liverpool shirt, few have come easier.
Salah now has 276 Premier League goal involvements for Liverpool, with only Rooney (for Manchester United) matching that figure for a single club.
There was also a hint of fortune about Gravenberch's clincher, but the Dutchman deserved that moment after bringing more control to Slot's midfield, following three games out with an ankle injury.
Slot will hope this result serves as a turning point ahead of a huge week for Liverpool, who host Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday before visiting Manchester City in the Premier League next Sunday.
Martinez mistake costs Villa
Saturday's game was a battle between two teams on contrasting trajectories. While Liverpool had followed up five straight victories with four consecutive defeats, Villa had won four matches in a row after failing to triumph in any of their first five.
Unai Emery's side carried the greater threat early on, with Ollie Watkins' clever movement into the channel creating space for Rogers to strike the woodwork.
Rather than sit deep and allow the out-of-form hosts to build confidence, Villa looked to play the game on their terms, pressing with intensity and allowing full-backs Cash and Lucas Digne to bomb forward.
But one moment of madness from Martinez swung the momentum Liverpool's way. His loose return pass was nowhere near Torres, the intended recipient, and Salah finished with ease.
In that moment, Emery might have been regretting Villa's reluctance to go direct, particularly with Slot admitting Liverpool had struggled to defend long balls all season.
After failing to put up much of a fight in the second half, Villa's winning streak is at an end, and Emery will hope they can rediscover their momentum against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League, ahead of next Sunday's meeting with AFC Bournemouth.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Villa report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: "The margins are small every single game - today after five minutes they hit the post - we didn't concede a set piece, which was helpful, but also we got a bit lucky which hasn't happened recently. Our second goal was a defection.
"When they hit the post, that was their biggest chance. The last few weeks, every time that ball went in, now it didn't. Our second goal was a bit of luck which we haven't had in the last few weeks."
Unai Emery: "We competed and we dominated sometimes. We were feeling good and we created some chances, hit the post and we were more or less getting confident but here in Anfield it is hard to dominate like we did in the last 30 minutes."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Salah became just the third player in Liverpool’s history to reach 250 goals for the club, after Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285).
Gravenberch has scored three goals in his last 10 games for Liverpool, just one fewer than he managed in his first 87 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Villa have scored just nine goals in 10 Premier League games this season; the fewest by an Emery-led side after 10 matches of a campaign in one of Europe’s big five leagues.
Since beating the Reds 7-2 in October 2020, Villa are winless in their last 10 meetings with Liverpool in the Premier League (D3 L7), their longest current run without a win against an opponent in the competition.