Aston Villa held Liverpool to an entertaining 2-2 draw, stretching the Reds’ lead at the top to eight points.
Liverpool took the lead after a costly error from Andres Garcia allowed Diogo Jota to set up Mohamed Salah for the opener. Youri Tielemans fired Villa level before Ollie Watkins headed them ahead just before halftime.
The Reds fought back in the second half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold equalizing via a deflected strike. However, Darwin Nunez missed a golden chance to win it, and Donyell Malen almost snatched victory for Villa with the final kick.
Here’s how the Liverpool players rated in a frustrating but crucial draw.
Alisson (6/10): Made a couple of important saves but was lucky after a risky rush out early in the second half.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10): Scored the equalizer and was a constant threat going forward. His passing and creativity stood out.
Ibrahima Konate (6.5/10): Solid in the air but struggled at times with Villa’s quick transitions.
Virgil van Dijk (7/10): Commanding as usual, but couldn’t organize the defense to prevent Villa’s goals.
Andy Robertson (6.5/10): Worked hard down the left but his final delivery lacked precision at times.
Curtis Jones (6/10): A quiet return to the starting XI. Struggled to impose himself in midfield.
Alexis Mac Allister (7/10): Controlled the tempo well and was tidy in possession, but couldn’t influence the game decisively.
Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10): Worked hard and created chances, including the assist for Nunez’s big miss.
Mohamed Salah (7.5/10): Took his goal well and was involved in most of Liverpool’s attacks, but faded slightly in the second half.
Diogo Jota (6.5/10): Unselfish assist for Salah’s goal but missed a great chance to put Liverpool back ahead before halftime.
Darwin Nunez (5/10): Missed a sitter that could have won the game. His energy was there, but his finishing let him down.
Subs:
Conor Bradley (6/10): Added energy after coming on but didn’t have a major impact.
Luis Diaz (6/10): Looked lively but couldn’t create a clear chance.
Jarell Quansah (N/A): Came on too late to make an impact.
