The Reds dominated possession in the first 45, which was largely played in the Villa half, but couldn’t take advantage of any of the several openings they created, Diogo Joga’s header from six yards out being the best chance spurned. Inevitably, all these wasted opportunities would be punished at the other end and so it was on 43 minutes that a rare Villa attack resulted in the ball breaking to Ollie Watkins on the edge of the area. Falling over as he shot, Watkins only managed a weak connection but it was enough to beat Allison Becker who went at the ball with his hand rather than his foot and it squirmed into the net.
Liverpool looked to have immediately responded with some pinball in the Villa area eventually ending with Roberto Firmino scuffing a shot into the back of the net, only for VAR to make one of those perplexing and soul-destroying decisions to rule the goal out for an indiscernible offside against Jota in the build up.
These two lucky breaks looked to have perked Villa up, making them believe that there was something in the game for them if they dug in; but Liverpool equalised on 57 minutes when Mo Salah nodded in after a fierce shot from Andy Robertson could only be parried by Martinez.
A Liverpool onslaught was expected, instead of which the Reds took their foot off the gas and it was Aston Villa who looked most dangerous going forward. Dean Smith’s men were unlucky not to retake the lead on 62 minutes when the ball broke to Trezeguet in the Liverpool area and his clever attempt with the outside of his foot hit the inside of Allison’s left post and spun to the other side of the goal where a desperate, diving Trezeguet couldn’t direct his header back on goal.
Despite bringing on Sadio Mané for Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara for Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool’s play was sloppy and the game was meandering to a disappointing stalemate that would’ve summed up and drawn a line under this awful season for the Reds. Then, in injury time, a few good passes involving Thiago, Mané and Xherdan Shaqiri, who’d just come on for Ozan Kabak, ended with a shot from Thiago being expertly saved from Martinez, only for the ball to find its way to Alexander Arnold in the left-back position and the under-pressure Reds’ defender – who, again, it has to be said, had had a rotten game – brilliantly curled the ball into the corner of the Villa net.
Nothing in the Reds’ performance suggested they’ll have what it takes to overcome the 3-1 deficit against Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-final; though today’s performance should take into account how draining the game last Tuesday against the Spanish giants would’ve been. Liverpool’s man-of-the-match today was Nat Phillips, who got his head on everything and won every challenge in the air.
Liverpool looked to have immediately responded with some pinball in the Villa area eventually ending with Roberto Firmino scuffing a shot into the back of the net, only for VAR to make one of those perplexing and soul-destroying decisions to rule the goal out for an indiscernible offside against Jota in the build up.
These two lucky breaks looked to have perked Villa up, making them believe that there was something in the game for them if they dug in; but Liverpool equalised on 57 minutes when Mo Salah nodded in after a fierce shot from Andy Robertson could only be parried by Martinez.
A Liverpool onslaught was expected, instead of which the Reds took their foot off the gas and it was Aston Villa who looked most dangerous going forward. Dean Smith’s men were unlucky not to retake the lead on 62 minutes when the ball broke to Trezeguet in the Liverpool area and his clever attempt with the outside of his foot hit the inside of Allison’s left post and spun to the other side of the goal where a desperate, diving Trezeguet couldn’t direct his header back on goal.
Despite bringing on Sadio Mané for Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara for Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool’s play was sloppy and the game was meandering to a disappointing stalemate that would’ve summed up and drawn a line under this awful season for the Reds. Then, in injury time, a few good passes involving Thiago, Mané and Xherdan Shaqiri, who’d just come on for Ozan Kabak, ended with a shot from Thiago being expertly saved from Martinez, only for the ball to find its way to Alexander Arnold in the left-back position and the under-pressure Reds’ defender – who, again, it has to be said, had had a rotten game – brilliantly curled the ball into the corner of the Villa net.
Nothing in the Reds’ performance suggested they’ll have what it takes to overcome the 3-1 deficit against Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-final; though today’s performance should take into account how draining the game last Tuesday against the Spanish giants would’ve been. Liverpool’s man-of-the-match today was Nat Phillips, who got his head on everything and won every challenge in the air.
