Aston Villa v Liverpool: Premier League – live

I suspect the person who feels down is Nunez after his dreadful miss.

Slot added that he did not know the severity of Bradley’s injury but it’s not great when someone pulls up.

Arne Slot: “I am not so happy. If you look at the game, we created far more chances than them. We did everything we had to do to win. the only thing that was not perfect was conceding from a set-piece. It is clear I am not happy with the 2-2.

“We were close to playing a very good game except for conceding from a set-piece.

“The pressure is always on you if you are Liverpool. It does matter where we are in the league table but there is always pressure whether you play for Liverpool or Arsenal. We are happy where we are. We have played some games where we deserved more than we got. Tonight, if one of the teams deserved to win tonight, it was us.

“There is one person in the dressing room that feels quite down.

“Jota and Trent could only play 60 minutes, that’s why we had to make those changes. “

Virgil van Dijk: “A bit disappointed. We had chances to win the game and took more risks, so we were more open.

“Disappointed to concede from a set-piece. We tried everything tonight but it wasn’t enough.

“It was well deserved and we should have scored after that for 3-2. Now we move on for the next one and have to keep fighting.

“This is the Premier League so it is physical for everyone, not just for us. We have a very tough game at the weekend. Our focus is on Man City, a very difficult game. We have to fight every second on the pitch and win the games.”

If you want one-sided football … Real Madrid v City is still happening.

The home team will be most pleased with the result in the end but either side could have won it. Liverpool are eight points clear of Arsenal but have played a game more.

90+4 mins: Cash takes aim from distance and fires with power but Alisson is behind it.

90+3 mins: The Belgian sends it deep and Gravenberch flicks it away. Villa lifts it back into the box and the ball eventually comes to Rogers in a good position but he whacks his shot well over.

90+2 mins: Cash gets into the box and tries to find a cross but it is cleared. Villa come straight back at Liverpool and get a corner on the right. Tielemans to take …

90 mins: Five minutes added on.

89 mins: “Nothing about Ian Maatsen convinces me he’s an upgrade on Digne. Or even a suitable back-up, honestly,” says Benjamin. “Alex Moreno was better, and very unlucky to lose his place on the basis of Maatsen’s arrival, in my view. He’s shown plenty at Forest to suggest that was a - relatively rare - poor move for Villa.”

88 mins: Martinez comes to claim a corner and holds on to take the pressure off his defence.

Bradley is on the deck and needs some treatment. Alisson does not fancy his chances of carrying on. Quansah is stripped and ready.

86 mins: Villa knock it around inside their own box, causing a few gasps in the crowd but the beat the press and make it up the other end. Sadly, for the hosts it comes to nothing.

Bogarde on for McGinn.

84 mins: “Here’s a possible new chant for the Villa faithful,” suggests Kieran McKintosh.

It’s Villa Park, the home of 2-2 draws. Watkins is through, he shoots and he scores. We took Arsenal’s title, and now we’ll take yours. It’s Villa Park, the home of 2-2 draws!

83 mins: Robertson swings in a corner from the right and Liverpool eventually win another corner on the other side, although the last touch is from Szoboszlai.

Pawson, maybe realising his mistake, gives a free-kick to Villa for a foul.

81 mins: NO GOAL! It is a great pass through for Ramsey who takes it on and slots beyond Alisson but the Villa man is very much offside.

80 mins: Malen takes aim from 20 yards and whacks a shot, which is deflected wide by Jones.

Alisson comes and claims the ball then immediately smashes a long kick up the pitch for Salah. He holds it up and lays a pass to Nunez who does not have the confidence to shoot and then passes the ball straight out for a goal kick.

Diaz on for Mac Allister.

78 mins: I feel like this game deserves a winner. I feel Liverpool are the more likely to do it but I could be wrong.

Rogers does well and picks out Malen inside the box, he looks for someone close to goal and wins a corner for his troubles.

Maatsen is on for Digne.

76 mins: Emery has called back someone else from warming up.

74 mins: Nunez looks like he is about to latch onto a loose ball but Martinez races 30 yards out from his goal and tackles the Uruguayan!

73 mins: Nunez is needlessly stood in an offside position, the ball comes to him and the flag goes up.

Damian Clarke on Nunez: “Sounds like Darwin should get some sort of award.”

It’s good stuff.

72 mins: Rogers dissects the defence and Malan reaches the pass, it takes the ball a bit wide before shooting, making life tougher for himself. Alisson saves and the flag goes up regardless, although I do not think he is offside.

70 mins: WHAT A MISS! Bradley slips a superb pass between centre-back and full-back for Szoboszlai who tickles it across to Nunez for a tap into an almost empty net but the Uruguayan skies it from a few yards out.

View image in fullscreen

68 mins: Which set of subs will give their team the edge?

67 mins: A double sub from Liverpool but a triple one for Villa. Garcia, Asensio and Rashford off, Cash, Malen and Ramsey on.

66 mins: Asensio has the chance to play in Rashford but he gets the pass all wrong and Van Dijk intercepts. This is very much fun and games now.

Alexander-Arnold and Jota off, Bradley and Nunez on.

64 mins: Pinball in the Villa box ends with Robertson’s jabbed shot being deflected for a corner. Mac Allister whips it in, Martinez comes to punch but it hits someone on the back and the Argentinian has to grab hold before he goes into the net.

Slot is readying Bradley and Nunez.

GOAL! Salah has the ball on the edge of the box and lays it off to a marauding Alexander-Arnold who pings a shot which hits Mings and deceives Martinez.

A huge deflection off Mings bamboozles Martinez.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

60 mins: Ooooooh! Jota picks up the ball around 20 yards from goal and whacks a shot at goal, which pings off the top of the bar.

“Still can’t work out why Slot has decided to tackle this game without a left winger,” says Ben Wilkinson. “Gakpo mightn’t be available but Diaz has been very good in that position this season. Jones has been a spectator so far and needs to be subbed off.”

58 mins: Rashford is held up by Gravenberch on the wing, blocking the Villa’s man cross into the box.

56 mins: Liverpool have a corner on the left but it is halted after goalkeeper Martinez is on the deck in his own goalmouth.

The ball eventually comes in from Mac Allister but Mings heads behind for another corner, which is flicked over by Robertson.

Richard Morris emails: “As a long suffering Villa fan ( 48 years and counting) I’ve been here so many times that I now read the MBM with a permanently cocked eyebrow and a constant sorrowful shaking of the head. What’s that you say? A goal up with 2 minutes to play against the league leaders? Missed a hatful of chances to make the game safe? Lost 3-2 you say? It’s coming I tell you - you may as well write it up now ...”

54 mins: Garcia makes a key interception to stop Robertson getting in down the left. Apart from his colossal mistake for the opener the defender has looked decent. A smart bit of business in the window by Villa to bring him in from Levante.

52 mins: Rashford – and his Villa teammates – certainly look up for the challenge here. If Liverpool lost here and on Sunday, it would be very much GAME ON in the title race.

Diaz, among others, is jogging down the touchline.

50 mins: Rashford races Alisson to a ball over the top; the forward beats the goalkeeper, who is a long way out of his goal but Rashford’s shot is headed clear by a backtracking Konate. A lucky escape for Alisson and Liverpool.

View image in fullscreen

49 mins: Asensio trips Mac Allister around 30 yards from the Villa goal. The position is a little to the right and requires a cross into the box from the Argentinian but it goes straight out for a goal kick.

47 mins: The good news for Liverpool is that Man City are playing with a very silly high line at the moment and they can have fun with that on Sunday.

Back at Villa Park … Liverpool are started the half in a composed manner and are not letting the hosts touch the ball.

Here we go again!

Half-time reading.

Benjamin emails: “You’ll be pleased to know you have a new follow-along-er - Becca, in Cornwall, is endeavouring to engage with football in an effort to understand my interest in it!

“She is doing so via the means of the minute-by-minute: no pressure!

“I thought you’d be pleased to know that The Guardian’s coverage isn’t a closed shop, and still attracts new readers - if you felt like giving her a welcome, I’d enjoy that very much.

“Hoping for a good Villa performance tonight - as someone who studies health, deprivation, and social prescribing, she has heard of Marcus Rashford, so a goal for him would be great for everyone!”

Villa are putting in a pretty decent performance for Becca.

A fine finish to a fantastic half of football. Should be a fun second half.

GOAL! Liverpool are complaining about a McGinn handball a long way back in the build up but the officials are not interested. The important thing is the Digne picked out Watkins in the box.

On the brink of half time! Watkins heads home.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

45+2 mins: “All things considered, would a Curtis Jones hat trick be too much to ask for, you know, to get me through the week?” asks Peadar de Burca.

Yes it would.

45 mins: Three minutes added.

44 mins: Jota once again goes behind the Villa defence but a combination of McGinn and Disasi stops him. Disasi has a good moan about something but there is no action to be taken by the referee.

42 mins: Rashford is looking confident and enjoys some nice interplay with Rogers but the former can not catch the latter’s pass over the top.

40 mins: Liverpool could be back ahead! Robertson lifts a pass over the Villa defence and Jota is through one-on-one but his shot goes high and wide.

Another chance for Liverpool as Jones drives through to the edge of the box but he drags his shot just wide.

GOAL! Konate wins the first header but McGinn lurks at the back post and heads the ball into the danger area. The ball finally reaches Tielemans who volleys home.

Rashford swings in the free-kick from out wide … Liverpool fail to clear and in the end. Tielemans volleys home.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

36 mins: McGinn spins on the edge of his own box and drives around 50 yards up the pitch. Rashford takes the ball on and breezes past Mac Allister who takes him down on the left flank. The loanee lines up the free-kick …

34 mins: Liverpool have barely had a touch since opening the scoring. They seem happy enough to contain Villa.

32 mins: Villa are enjoying a decent spell of possession but cannot find a gap in the Liverpool midfield to play through.

30 mins: Andy Flintoff emails: “Rashford has had Alexander-Arnold on toast in the past, but then that was in a previous life when Rashford was a) promising and b) in good form at Man United. I bet Emery is hoping that incarnation turns up tonight.”

He’s had his moments tonight.

GOAL! I am not sure what Garcia has done. He looks to play a pass sideways but instead sends the ball backwards to Jota who is lurking just outside the Villa box. He darts into the area, drawing Martinez out and Salah is gifted a tap in.

A mistake from Garcia allows Jota in and he lays the ball to Salah to fire into an empty net.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

28 mins: Garcia is caught out of position after losing the ball. Robertson ploughs down the left and the ball eventually reaches Mac Allister on the edge of the box but his shot is blocked.

26 mins: After a decent delay Liverpool restart with a free-kick.

Liverpool work it well, concluding with Robertson lifting in a cross for Salah but the forward heads well over the bar.

24 mins: Kieran McKintosh emails: “Wow. The words Rashford and goal together in the same sentence. Haven’t seen that in a very long time indeed.

“Penny for Amorim’s thoughts right now. Things are not very-ahem-straightforward for him at this point in time.”