Trent Alexander-Arnold’s second-half equalizer ensured Liverpool left Villa Park with a point after a thrilling encounter against Aston Villa. While the draw extended Liverpool’s unbeaten away record in the league, the result felt like a missed opportunity given Darwin Núñez’s glaring late chance to secure the win.
With Arsenal trailing by eight points and holding a game in hand, the outcome adds a layer of intrigue to the title race. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool an early lead, only for Villa to turn the game on its head before halftime, with Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins finding the net. Diogo Jota squandered a golden opportunity to restore Liverpool’s advantage before the break, compounding his side’s frustrations.
The match evolved into a pulsating, back-and-forth contest after Liverpool’s early dominance. Virgil van Dijk came close to scoring after a clever outside-of-the-boot pass from Alexander-Arnold, but his shot soared over the bar. Villa responded with resilience, led by Marcus Rashford, making his first start since arriving on loan from Manchester United. Rashford’s energetic pressing set the tone, and he nearly played a key role in an opening goal, though his assist for Marco Asensio was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.
Liverpool capitalized on a Villa mistake to break the deadlock. Andrés García’s blind back-pass fell straight to Jota, who squared the ball for Salah to slot home with ease, marking his 29th goal of the season. The visitors celebrated, but Villa quickly regrouped. McGinn and Mings combined to keep a Rashford free-kick alive, and Tielemans pounced on a poor clearance, rifling a volley past Alisson to bring the hosts level.
Liverpool should have regained control almost immediately, but Jota’s wayward shot from a prime position let Villa off the hook. The home side then made Liverpool pay for their profligacy, with Watkins starting and finishing the move that put Villa ahead. He spread play wide before ghosting into the box unmarked to nod home Digne’s precise cross, sending the home crowd into raptures.
Rashford continued to trouble Liverpool’s defense, nearly catching Alisson off his line early in the second half, but his shot lacked the necessary curl. Jota later clipped the bar with an effort from the edge of the box, but Liverpool finally found their equalizer moments later. Alexander-Arnold strode into space, received a pass from Salah, and unleashed a powerful shot that deflected off Mings before nestling into the bottom corner.
Liverpool pushed for a winner. Robertson’s shot was deflected wide, and Jota sent a header off target from a brilliant cross. Substitutions followed, with Núñez and Conor Bradley entering the fray, and the former was handed a golden opportunity to steal all three points. A clever move saw Szoboszlai tee up Núñez, only for the striker to blaze his effort over the bar, summing up a frustrating night for the visitors.
Villa had one final chance to win it in stoppage time. Malen drilled a shot agonizingly wide in the dying seconds, ensuring the match ended in a dramatic but ultimately unsatisfying draw for both teams.
