Liverpool Drop Points Again – This Time in Birmingham
The middle of the season has proven to be a real test for Liverpool. Once an undisputed leader of the Premier League, they are now struggling to maintain their form, giving their rivals a glimmer of hope that the title race is far from over.
Just a week ago, the Reds squandered a victory in the Merseyside derby against Everton, and now they have failed to secure a win at Aston Villa in Birmingham, drawing 2-2. Many are already pointing to their upcoming fixtures against Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Newcastle as crucial to determining Liverpool's fate. While it's clear that securing maximum points from this stretch will be difficult, it is still too early to say that the leaders are giving up ground.
Especially considering that Liverpool started strong in Birmingham, and could have easily gone into halftime with a two or three-goal advantage. However, an astonishingly poor finishing rate in the final third meant they only scored once in the first half. On the 29th minute, Diogo Jota capitalized on a mistake by Garcia, setting up Mohamed Salah for a simple finish into an empty net – 0-1.
But just before the break, the game took a dramatic turn. First, Youri Tielemans fired a powerful shot past Alisson following a corner kick. Then, in the first minute of stoppage time, Ollie Watkins connected with a cross from the left wing, putting Aston Villa ahead – 2-1.
As expected, Liverpool stepped up their game in the second half, creating several dangerous chances. Jota hit the crossbar with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Moments later, Trent Alexander-Arnold linked up with Salah to score an equalizer, making it 2-2. The Reds then had a chance to build on that momentum. Darwin Núñez, who was introduced by Arne Slot in the second half, should have scored at least once. His miss, after a perfect assist from Dominik Szoboszlai into an open goal, is likely to feature in the week's football blooper reels.
Surprisingly, it was Aston Villa who came close to taking all three points in the final moments. In stoppage time, the hosts launched two dangerous attacks, each of which could have sealed Liverpool's fate. However, the score remained level, and judging by Salah’s face after the final whistle, this result certainly did not satisfy the visitors.
2024-25, England - Premier League
Aston Villa - Liverpool 2:2 (2:1)
Goals: Salah, 29 (0:1); Tielemans, 38 (1:1); Watkins, 45 (2:1); Alexander-Arnold, 61 (2:2)
Aston Villa: Martinez E.; Disasi; Mings; Digne (Maatsen I., 78); McGinn J. (Bogarde L., 86); Tielemans; Watkins; Asensio (Malen, 67); Robledo (Cash, 67); Rashford (Ramsey J., 67); Rogers M.
Bench: Olsen R.; Zych
Yellow Cards: Disasi 23
Liverpool: Alisson; van Dijk; Konate; Robertson A.; Alexander-Arnold (Bradley C., 66; Quansah, 89); Szoboszlai; Mac Allister A. (Luis Díaz, 81); Jones Cur.; Gravenberch R.; Salah; Jota (Núñez D., 66)
Bench: Kelleher; Endo W.; Tsimikas; Chiesa F.; Elliott H.
