Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool

Jhon Durán climbed off the bench to score twice as Aston Villa stunned Liverpool with a dramatic late comeback at Villa Park.

The 20-year-old entered the fray with 11 minutes left to play as the home side trailed 3-1, turning the game on its head with a quickfire double.

Durán’s heroics came at the end of a thrilling match that saw the Reds take the lead in the second minute when Emi Martínez fumbled Harvey Elliott’s deflected cross into his own net.

Backed by a vociferous crowd, Villa hit back through Youri Tielemans’ driven finish after 12 minutes before Cody Gakpo restored the visitors’ lead.

Diego Carlos and Moussa Diaby spurned glorious chances to equalise ahead of half-time and Liverpool extended their advantage three minutes into the second half via Jarell Quansah.

Villa left it late to respond through super sub Durán, who drilled a shot past Alisson from the edge of the box before seeing Diaby’s through ball clip his knee and sail into the net, delighting the Villa faithful on the final home game of the season.

The home side were once again given a hero’s welcome from the team bus into the stadium, with the Villa fans hoping to lift the players after their European exploits last week.

Another boost arrived in the shape of Tielemans, who returned from injury after a three-game absence, but Villa quickly found themselves behind against the Reds.

A rare mistake from Martínez saw the goalkeeper fail to catch Elliott’s deflected cross, with the loose ball nudged over the line by the Argentine as he tried to regather it.  

Liverpool were looking menacing, but it was the hosts who showed their attacking teeth to hit back after 12 minutes.

Watkins skipped away from Trent Alexander-Arnold and got to the byline before pulling the ball back to just inside the box, where the onrushing Tielemans drilled a shot past Alisson.

Leon Bailey and Watkins saw shots blocked as Villa upped the ante, however, momentum swung back to the visitors when they regained the lead on 23 minutes.

The ball was worked from right to left, leading to Joe Gomez laying a ball across the face of goal for Gakpo to tap home at the far post. A lengthy VAR check ensued and revealed Gomez had stayed onside by the smallest of margins.

A high-energy clash was sweeping from end-to-end, and a glorious chance went begging for the team in claret and blue when Carlos failed to make enough contact with Bailey’s drilled cross to turn it home from a yard out.

Diaby was next to go close before the break, sending a shot narrowly wide after being played through on goal by John McGinn.

Villa had ended the first half with high hopes of mounting a comeback after the break, but their task became more difficult when Quansah headed home Liverpool’s third after 48 minutes.

Watkins had the ball in the net shortly after, turning Bailey’s cross past Alisson, but VAR revealed the Jamaican had strayed half a yard offside in the build-up.

Christopher Kavanagh in the VAR control room at Stockley Park was having a busy night, and he had another close call to make when Luiz Diaz was ruled offside before he teed up Mo Salah to score.

Tielemans lasted until just past the hour mark on his return from injury, with replacement Nicolò Zaniolo calling Alisson into a fine save with a placed effort that looked destined to find the bottom corner.

The Italian had to be substituted himself after sustaining an injury shortly after, and the subsequent introduction of Durán would reignite Villa’s hopes.

First, he controlled the ball just outside the box and moved past a defender before drilling a shot beyond Alisson’s reach in front of the Holte End after 85 minutes.

Belief suddenly surged around the stadium as the hosts flew forward again, with Villa Park erupting three minutes later when Diaby’s through ball was deflected into the net by Durán’s knee.

Diaby saw a vicious half-volley saved by Alisson as Villa tried and failed to net a sensational winner.