Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool (Tielemans 38′, Watkins 45+3 | Salah 29′, Alexander-Arnold 61′)
VILLA PARK — Leaders Liverpool may remain unbeaten on the road in the Premier League this season but Wednesday night’s draw with Aston Villa will have widened the grins among the chasing pack.
For Arsenal in particular this is a big favour gifted by former manager Unai Emery, whose Villa side took their chances against a largely wasteful Liverpool.
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Read MoreLiverpool had led through Mohamed Salah, his 24th league goal of the season, but Villa responded twice before half-time through Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins.
Villa converted two of their three shots before the break, while Liverpool’s only shot on target from 10 attempts was Salah’s goal.
In the second half, Diogo Jota – wasteful all night beyond his assist for Salah – struck the top of the bar on the hour-mark, and a minute later Liverpool were back level, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s strike deflecting off Tyrone Mings past Emiliano Martinez.
Darwin Nunez then fired over after Dominik Szoboszlai’s unselfish square pass, and the former’s night hardly got any better, the Uruguayan making a series of wrong decisions before Jacob Ramsey had a late goal ruled out for offside and then spurned an injury-time strike.
Donyell Malen’s attempt then went a whisker wide with seconds to go. The result means Liverpool may have an eight-point lead at the top, but Arsenal can look at make that five with victory at home to West Ham on Saturday – before Liverpool travel to Manchester City on Sunday.
There at the Etihad this unbeaten away record will be put to the test once more. They have not won there in the league since 2015, and should Liverpool drop further points then this could really be the week where momentum swings in Arsenal’s favour.
The looming trip to City is what made Wednesday feel so important for Liverpool. It was a chance to silence any talk of nerves, quell fears that James Tarkowski’s late heroics last week had derailed them, and while five points from nine still makes for an enviable return, it is not the sort of form at this stage of the season that wins titles.
Liverpool know that themselves, as do Arsenal, having both been the bridesmaids during relentless battles with Manchester City.
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Read MoreIt only increases the sense therefore that this will not be an unyielding fight for the crown as we’ve witnessed in recent years – when the glint in City’s eye has often arrived with the first signs of spring – but rather a bareknuckle scrap between two pretenders where points will be dropped and one club must find a way to drag themselves over the line.
“We just have to buckle up and enjoy the ride,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had said on the weekend, acknowledging and understanding the “nervousness” among his club’s supporters.
And against Villa, the nerves crept in. This fixture had been moved forward from 15 March, the weekend Liverpool will now be in Carabao Cup final action against Newcastle, and was therefore a chance for Arne Slot’s side to go 10 points clear of Arsenal, who will be a game behind for the best part of a month.
Instead, Liverpool stuttered, meaning Arsenal have a chance to close the gap, an opportunity that starts against the Hammers on Saturday.
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