Contradictheory: Malaysia falling short with pandemic plans

Yes, yes, Liverpool played badly to let in so many goals – but Aston Villa planned for their success! Malaysia could do with having a plan and, most importantly, executing it well in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. — Reuters

English football club Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 7-2 in a Premier League match on Oct 5,2020. That is not a cricket score. That is the first time a reigning top league English champion has let in seven goals – ever. It’s very probably a once in a lifetime event, and Villa supporters lamented that it happened in an empty stadium due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was clear in the interviews with Aston Villa coach Dean Smith and the players that they had planned to exploit a weakness in Liverpool’s defence: they are so forward at attacking, they leave a lot of space to exploit at the back. This was communicated to the Villa players, who then practised it all week before the game to understand it. Finally, on the night itself, they executed it almost to perfection.