BIRMINGHAM, England — With the purpose at his mercy, Darwin Núñez took goal and fired a shot nicely huge of the goal.
It’s a sentence that has been relevant on a number of events because the Uruguay worldwide joined Liverpool in an preliminary £64 million deal from Benfica in summer time 2022. However in his workforce’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday evening, Núñez’s profligacy proved notably expensive as Arne Slot’s aspect missed out on the possibility to go 10 factors clear on the prime of the Premier League desk with 12 video games to go.
From a impartial’s perspective, this pulsating contest was one of many video games of the Premier League season up to now, with objectives from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins cancelling out Mohamed Salah’s opener earlier than Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s deflected strike rescued a treasured level for the league leaders at Villa Park. From Liverpool’s standpoint, nevertheless, this — very like final week’s draw in opposition to Everton at Goodison Park — was a missed alternative to essentially assert their authority within the title race.
Wednesday’s conflict within the West Midlands was the third fixture in a testing run of 5 video games in 15 days for Liverpool. After conceding on the demise within the Merseyside derby and edging to a slender victory over strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, there was a rising sense that nerves are beginning to creep in for Slot’s aspect because the season nears the enterprise finish.
The Dutchman dismissed that notion in his prematch information convention, however at occasions in opposition to Villa, his gamers appeared as if their most fearsome foe was in their very own minds versus anybody in a claret and blue shirt. There have been fireworks even earlier than a ball was kicked, with the prematch pyrotechnics at Villa Park including additional credence to the sense that this was a mammoth recreation.
Liverpool began nicely and obtained their reward when Diogo Jota intercepted Andres Garcia’s free cross and squared it for Salah, who rifled into the roof of the online to notch his twenty fourth league purpose of the season. However Villa rallied shortly, restoring parity by means of Tielemans’ excellent volley after Liverpool did not clear their strains from a cheaply conceded set piece. Villa then took the lead within the third minute of first-half damage time, when Lucas Digne’s wonderful cross was nodded into the underside nook by Watkins, leaving the shaken guests with all of it to do after the interval.
No matter Slot mentioned to his gamers within the dressing room appeared to have the specified impact as Liverpool made a robust begin to the second half, with Alexander-Arnold’s effort taking a depraved deflection off Tyrone Mings and wrong-footing Emi Martinez to attract them stage within the 61st minute.
Few gamers in world soccer have needed to endure as a lot scrutiny because the Liverpool right-back has in latest months as hypothesis over his future continues. Alexander-Arnold, who’s out of contract at Anfield on the finish of the season, has been accused in some quarters of being distracted by the attentions of Actual Madrid, however as he passionately whipped up the Reds’ touring followers following his strike, there could possibly be no questioning his dedication to the trigger.
From that second on, it felt prefer it was Liverpool’s recreation to win, and Slot’s aspect ought to have nosed in entrance when Dominik Szoboszlai was brilliantly performed by means of on purpose by substitute Conor Bradley. The Hungary worldwide opted to sq. the ball to Núñez — on for the ever-industrious Diogo Jota — who drilled his try huge of the publish. In doing so, the striker spurned an opportunity with an anticipated objectives (xG) worth of 0.89, including one other expensive miss to his catalogue of moments to overlook for Liverpool.
Núñez had a chance to atone for his earlier lack of composure when he nicked the ball from Tyrone Mings inside his personal half quarter-hour from time, however the ahead was unable to get the higher of the onrushing Martinez.
“[Szoboszlai] made the right option to sq. it as a result of from a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper, he made it an open purpose probability,” Slot mentioned when requested in regards to the striker’s efficiency after the sport. “It was not Darwin’s finest leg — he is right-footed, in fact — but it surely was nonetheless an enormous probability.
“Very unfortunate, and I hoped he might have gotten one other one as a result of a participant like him in all probability would not miss two probabilities in a row. He was very shut afterwards when Martinez made an awesome sliding deal with. I feel we’re all dissatisfied, but it surely’s solely regular the participant who misses an opportunity like that is at all times a bit extra dissatisfied than the remaining.”
It have to be famous that Liverpool’s failure to safe all three factors in opposition to Villa doesn’t relaxation squarely on Núñez’s shoulders. Jota additionally missed a evident probability at 1-1, whereas the guests’ defensive deficiencies had been what allowed Unai Emery’s aspect to get a foothold within the recreation.
Nonetheless, the Uruguay worldwide’s newest show does little to dispel the concept Liverpool have to enter the marketplace for an elite No. 9 in the summertime if the membership harbours ambitions of dominating at dwelling and overseas for years to return. With the talismanic Salah out of contract on the finish of the season, the necessity to plan for all times after the Egypt worldwide — whether or not that be subsequent time period or additional down the road — feels crucial.
For now, although, Liverpool’s focus is on clinching a record-equalling twentieth league title, and the purpose gained at Villa Park strikes Slot’s aspect eight clear on the summit, although second-placed Arsenal do have a recreation in hand.
Liverpool are actually undefeated of their previous 22 video games within the Premier League; their longest unbeaten run since a staggering 44-game stretch between January 2019 and February 2020. Nonetheless, dropped factors right here solely serve to make this weekend’s conflict with Manchester Metropolis really feel much more important.
Pep Guardiola’s aspect may be a pale imitation of their ordinary imperious selves this season, however as reigning champions, they are going to absolutely be trying to restore some delight in opposition to their guests on Sunday afternoon following their UEFA Champions League exit by the hands of Actual Madrid on Wednesday evening. Metropolis’s defensive vulnerability does imply Liverpool are more likely to create loads of probabilities on the Etihad. If Slot’s aspect are to essentially kick for dwelling on this title race, they need to hope that Núñez and his teammates carry their scoring boots.
