Aston Villa 2 Liverpool 2: Watkins and Tielemans net as Villa hold Premier League leaders
This was a decent result for Villa, albeit perhaps not one to spark their desired push toward the Premier League’s top-five.
At half-time you wondered whether they might just get it, Ollie Watkins having headed them in front in virtually the last action of the first period against Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Villa were on course to become the first team to beat Arne Slot’s team in the league this season.
But Unai Emery’s hosts have struggled to hold one-goal leads all season and sure enough, Trent Alexander-Arnold levelled just past the hour mark as Villa Park witnessed its third 2-2 draw this term.
That would not have been the case had Liverpool substitute Darwin Nunez not fired over an open goal moments after coming on. That was the most glaring of several good chances missed by the visitors and in that respect, this was very much a point gained in Villa’s case.
But it was not the win which would have propelled them within striking distance of fifth-place Chelsea, their visitors on Saturday in what is a six-pointer in the race for Champions League football.
Emery started January loan signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio for the first time but it was another recent arrival, right-back Andres Garcia, who was responsible for gifting visiting striker Mo Salah the opener.
Rashford then delivered the free-kick from which Youri Tielemans eventually volleyed the home side level, before Watkins headed his 12th Premier League goal of the season to put them ahead.
A vital goal-line clearance from Ibrahima Konate, to deny Rashford his first Villa goal, then proved the pivotal moment, with Alexander-Arnold firing Liverpool’s leveller via a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
The pre-match talk might have been of Villa’s attack but it was Liverpool who started on the front foot. Virgil van Dijk sent a half volley over the bar, while Mings was on hand to block Diogo Jota’s shot after John McGinn was guilty of losing possession.
Villa looked nervous but gradually found their stride and for a brief moment it appeared the loan stars had combined to put them ahead. Rashford and Asensio exchanged passes and the former’s cross was deflected in by van Dijk, only for the flag to go up immediately before the celebrations could really begin.
Liverpool looked dangerous and after Jota volleyed wide, Emi Martinez saved at the feet of Dominik Szoboszlai after Curtis Jones had played the midfielder through on goal.
Some of Villa’s defending was asking for trouble and after failing twice to clear their lines, Salah headed over from Andy Robertson’s cross.
Finally they made a mistake from which they paid. Garcia, under no pressure but with few options out on the right, passed straight to Jota, who had the simple task of squaring for Salah to lift the ball into the net.
Villa, to their credit, were not rattled and nine minutes later drew level. Rashford swung in a free-kick from the left, McGinn returned the ball into the six-yard box and after Mings had flicked it on, Tielemans volleyed home left-footed at the far post.
Having got level, Villa nearly gave Liverpool the lead back immediately and the Holte End was relieved to see Jota, racing through on goal seconds after the restart, sky his effort high and wide. Jones then poked an effort narrowly wide as the visitors pushed at the end of the half.
Yet it was Villa who went in at the break ahead. With 60 seconds remaining in stoppage time, Emery’s men put together their best move of the half which ended when Watkins found Digne and then raced into the box to send the return cross beyond Alisson and inside the far post. A Villa team who have been typically wasteful in front of goal this season had scored from their only two attempts on target of the half.
It would have been three from three early in the second half had it not been for Konate. Rashford beat Alisson to Digne’s long ball out on the left wing and with the keeper out of goal, the Villa man sent the ball curling toward the target only for Konate to arrive to block it behind.
Villa were looking more comfortable now but got a warning of Liverpool’s threat when Jota sent a shot skimming off the top of the bar.
Then just past the hour mark the visitors were level. Alexander-Arnold found space to run at the Villa defence and after Salah got past Digne, the ball broke back to the full-back whose shot took a deflection off Mings to beat Martinez.
The home goal was suddenly back to leading a charmed life. Jota headed wide before being replaced by Nunez, who served up a miss of the season contender when he somehow blazed over an open goal from six yards out.
Nunez looked like he would get the chance to make amends when he nicked the ball off Mings but Martinez came racing out of goal to tackle the striker 25 yards out.
Villa looked the more likely winners in stoppage time but Rogers blazed over before Donyell Malen drilled just wide with the last action of the match.
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Garcia (Cash 67), Disasi, Mings, Digne (Maatsen 78), Tielemans, McGinn (Bogarde 86), Asensio (Malen 67), Rogers, Rashford (Ramsey 67), Watkins Subs not used: Jimoh, Zych (gk), Olsen (gk).
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold (Bradley 66), Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Gravenberch, Szobozlai, Mac Allister (Diaz 80), Jones, Salah, Jota (Nunez 66) Subs not used: Quansah, Enzo, Elliott, Chiesa, Tsimikas, Kelleher (gk).
