Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2
Ugly win keeps the Reds in the Premier League title chase
Ugly win keeps the Reds in the Premier League title chase
Longer term readers of my football column here for Sports Unillustrated will be aware of my heart on the sleeve honesty and this evening’s report will more of the same. I didn’t fancy the Reds before kick-off, largely in part to the starting XI, and a first 11 that were erratic and slap dash for the opening 25 minutes of tonight’s must win clash in front of over 41,000 at Villa Park. The team changes were either enforced by injury or to purely give players a chance to rest and recuperate but this, as I ended my recent Tottenham Hotspur match report linked below, is a price of success, and tonight’s vital 2–1 win keeps the Reds in the hunt for the Premier League title as well as 2 of the biggest cup finals imaginable on the horizon.
I felt pre-match the team lacked physicality, a team without Mo Salah up front will always be dimmed a tad and as loveable as he may be, Kostas Tsimikas is not Andy Robertson. It’s an unfair comparison as Robertson has developed into that rarefied air of being rightly regarded as world class, and the team missed him tonight. His replacement Tsimikas had a nightmare start with a clumsy challenge that allowed a cross to find the feet of Ollie Watkins, and he drew the first save of the night from Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Watkins, along with ex Liverpool striker Danny Ings were both tremendous in an attacking sense for Aston Villa tonight, forever on the move, eking out half chances and both were a real attacking threat all night. Mere seconds after Watkins early shot on 2 minutes, the Reds struggled to clear the early pressure from a determined home team and a cross from Lucas Digne caused panic in the Liverpool penalty area. Tsimikas crashed into the back of Joel Matip, Douglas Luiz forced a fine instinctive save from Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal but the ball ran loose and back into the path of Brazilian midfielder and the Reds Keystone Kops defending presented an absolute gift of an opening goal.
Aston Villa’s lead lasted just 2 minutes and 39 seconds. An innocuous free kick pinballed inside the home team’s penalty area before Diogo Jota bravely tried a shot on goal that fell to Virgil van Dijk. His squirted effort found the calm dancing feet of his central defensive partner Joel Matip, and he coolly scored into an empty net. 6 minutes gone, the score line already 1–1 and the Reds were a little lucky to be level from a scrappy goal and please do not discount the tenacious play of Diogo Jota in the build up to the goal. Without his involvement the goal would not have been possible. Kostas Tsimikas was involved again with a deflected shot that caused Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to make a smart save on 10 minutes, and as we all took a deep breath from a panic stricken beginning to the game it was as open as you’d expect to see a game with 10 minutes remaining rather than the first 10, leaving ex Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher to comment on TV colour commentary that Liverpool were “all over the place”.
And they were.
Ex Reds striker Danny Ings should have scored from a delicious John McGinn cross on 24 minutes and when he did finally score with 5 minutes remaining the goal was ruled out for offside. Fellow ex Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho had a quiet night against his old footballing friends with just one bright and smart piece of skill that bamboozled Trent Alexander-Arnold before he cut in and fired a curling shot just over Alisson Becker’s bar. As the half wore on the Reds in their unfamiliar change jerseys of cream grew into the game with Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz helping the buzzing pest of a performance from Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones in particular very neat, tidy and attackingly progressive in midfield. He was joined on just 28 minutes by his captain Jordan Henderson, on as a substitute for an out of sorts Fabinho who gave away 3/4 silly fouls as well as possession of the ball on a number of occasions before what appeared to be a hamstring injury ended his nightmare of an evening early. One hopes the prognosis on the injury isn’t too bad but if it is a hamstring strain/tear, his season will be over, and so close to a possibly glorious finishing line.
Captain Henderson was magnificent after coming on as substitute and it’s not by accident that from his introduction onward the game fell into the shape I imagined before kick-off: Liverpool with possession of the ball and a high line defence. Aston Villa using the pace of Watkins and Ings in the “channels” and trying to get around the back of the Reds defence. For Henderson, the same can be said of the introduction of Thiago Alcantara on 62 minutes. He replaced an excellent Curtis Jones (well played kid!) and like his captain stamped his authority on the game as well as crucially ensuring it played to his tempo and that of his team. Thiago had been on the field just 3 minutes when he started the attack that would lead to Sadio Mane’s brilliant headed winning goal and like Diogo Jota earlier, do not discount how important his contribution was. Aston Villa had a loose throw-in on the halfway line that Thiago battled for before releasing Sadio Mane, then Luis Diaz. His cross was slightly behind the continuing run of Mane but no matter, the Senegalese magician twisted his head to guide the ball into the far corner of the Aston Villa net, and easily past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Watkins and Ings continued to pester the imperious partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip. They combined on 69 minutes as Watkins pass defeated the Reds offside trap but Alisson Becker quickly smothered Ings shot and he beat away a close in drive from Ings with 6 minutes to go. In truth, the game settled into a pattern of attack versus defence prior to half-time, continued in the same vein after the break, before Mane’s ultimately winning goal seemed to take the wind out of the home team’s sails. Whereas the Reds were initially hesitant, unable to keep the ball and looking tired and sluggish, Aston Villa faded in a very similar manner after Mane’s glorious headed goal.
Sadio Mane was rightly awarded the “Man of the Match” for his tireless, energetic and physical performance but the old romantic in me gives Joel Matip my personal MOM nod. His goal was as crucial as the joint defensive command he exerted with Virgil van Dijk and his gazelle like ambling runs forward never fail to raise a smile in this Liverpool fan who can still fondly remember Alan Hansen doing the exact same for so many years, and so many years ago.
So it’s onto Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final in 4 days, Southampton away 3 days after that before the league season ending fixture at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 days after that. Then they will have just 6 days (and not the usual 2 weeks) to prepare for Real Madrid in the biggest club football final in the world, the Champions League/European Cup in Paris.
The Reds remain in 2nd place in the Premier League and are now divided from Manchester City by a goal difference of just 3 goals. Both sides have an incredible 86 points with the Reds now chasing a possible season ending total of 92. The Blues of Manchester City have a game in hand (tomorrow) and a chance of totalling 95 points.
Over to Manchester City.
Thanks for reading. My three most recent articles on Liverpool FC are linked below and there are numerous other articles contained within my archives.
I am also releasing a lengthy article as a preview to the FA Cup Final this Saturday. This is scheduled to be released on either 11th or 12th May.
Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1
The Reds go back to the top of the League but it’s advantage Manchester City.medium.com
Villarreal 2 Liverpool 3
Luis Diaz illuminates El Madrigal as the Reds march on to the city of lights.medium.com
Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 1
Utterly forgettable, but an utterly priceless 3 pointsmedium.com