Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool

Aston Villa played out an enthralling 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool in a high-quality encounter at Villa Park.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark as the visitors capitalised on a defensive error, only for Villa to turn the clash around prior to the interval.

Youri Tielemans volleyed the hosts level in the 38^th minute before Ollie Watkins’ well-taken header from Lucas Digne’s cross, his 13^th goal of the season, put the Villans ahead in first-half injury time.

Diogo Jota, having earlier set up Salah, clipped the top of the crossbar on the hour as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected strike then restored parity for the Reds.

Liverpool substitute Darwin Nunez missed a close-range opportunity to fire Liverpool ahead, while Jacob Ramsey saw his effort ruled out for offside in the latter stages and Donyell Malen fired agonisingly inches wide deep into injury time.

It was the last action of an engaging, energetic and action-packed match which saw Unai Emery’s side more than match high-flying Liverpool, who went into the meeting unbeaten away from home in the top flight since last April.

Villa, in the process, extended their unbeaten record on home soil in the league to 13 matches since August, with Chelsea next up in B6 on Saturday.

Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts having each enjoyed two substitute appearances since their arrival.

The duo were two of three changes to the side who started Saturday’s Premier League draw against Ipswich Town, with Tyrone Mings also coming into the XI.

Captain John McGinn, meanwhile, enjoyed the 500th club appearance of his career, including 266 for Villa.

Liverpool went into the encounter on a 21-match unbeaten run in the top flight stretching back to September, which included a 2-0 triumph in the reverse meeting earlier this season.

The history books were against Villa having won one of the last 14 league meetings and previous 10 in B6, that albeit coming courtesy of our memorable 7-2 triumph in 2020.

A competitive start to the encounter saw Villa grow into the game and enjoy some neat passages of play.

And it was a tidy move between Rashford and Asensio that led to Virgil van Dijk putting through his own net after 17 minutes, although the hosts were thwarted by an offside flag.

Emi Martínez got out quickly to deny Dominik Szoboszlai before an unmarked Salah headed Andy Robertson’s cross over the bar from eight yards.

But the league’s top scorer made no mistake with 29 minutes on the clock as the visitors pounced on a wayward pass, leaving Jota to surge into the area before squaring for Salah to convert left-footed from eight yards.

However, the hosts levelled nine minutes later as Rashford’s free-kick into the area was headed back across goal by McGinn, Mings kept it alive, Szoboszlai could only nod clear as far as Tielemans and he volleyed past Alisson.

Jota sent a clear-cut opening off target before Curtis Jones fired wide as the Reds chased an immediate response.

But it was Villa who completed the turnaround in first-half injury time as Watkins directed a well-taken header beyond Alisson and into the bottom corner from Digne’s left-wing cross.

The second half continued at the same high tempo, Rashford, almost immediately, getting the better of an onrushing Alisson way out of goal, only to see his long-range strike cleared to safety by Ibrahima Konate.

Jota struck the top of the bar from the edge of the area as Liverpool pressed for a leveller, and it came just a minute later as Alexander-Arnold’s strike ricocheted off Mings and beyond Martínez.

Manager Unai Emery turned to Malen, Ramsey and Matty Cash in the 67^th minute, but it was Reds sub Nunez who blazed over a glorious opportunity from six yards shortly afterwards.

Martinez had to be alert moments later to race out of goal and deny the Uruguay international striker with a superbly-timed challenge as the encounter was finely poised.

Ramsey broke clear and got the better of Alisson as the encounter entered the closing stages, only to be denied by the offside flag.

The match flowed from end to end as both sides went in search of maximum reward, Rogers firing off target in injury time before Cash’s deflected strike was collected by Alisson.  

And Malen almost had the final say in the 95^th minute but his low strike flashed just wide of the far post as the two teams were forced to settle for a point apiece.