Liverpool battled back to earn a hard-fought draw against Aston Villa on Wednesday night. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected strike in the second half secured a point after Mohamed Salah’s opener was overturned by first-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins.
The result keeps Liverpool eight points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, though the Gunners have a game in hand.
Here’s how Dee Sports rated the Liverpool players in a challenging match for Arne Slot’s side:
Alisson Becker – 6
Made some routine saves early on, but his distribution was risky at times. Had no real chance with either goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6
Held his own against Rashford in the first half and made some good forward passes. Lost some momentum after the break but redeemed himself with the equalizer. Substituted.
Ibrahima Konaté – 7
Had to be proactive in defense as Villa looked to counter quickly. Unfortunate in the lead-up to their first goal but made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Rashford.
Virgil van Dijk – 6
Villa avoided his area in the first half, and his long passes were inconsistent. Improved significantly after halftime.
Andy Robertson – 7
Effective in both attack and defense before the break, delivering a dangerous cross for Salah. Continued to push forward in the second half and had a shot deflected wide.
Ryan Gravenberch – 5
Played a largely defensive role but struggled to make an impact. Didn’t close down Digne for Villa’s second goal. Slightly better after halftime but still lacked influence.
Alexis Mac Allister – 6
Got knocked around in the first half but stayed composed and helped dictate play. Faded in the second half but played a key pass leading to the equalizer. Substituted.
Mohamed Salah – 8
Missed an early header but made up for it with a clinical finish for the opener. Troubled Digne throughout the match and provided the assist for Liverpool’s second. Worked tirelessly.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6
Energetic and strong in pressing but lacked sharpness on the ball. Couldn’t clear Villa’s equalizer properly and hesitated on a key chance for Nunez.
Curtis Jones – 7
Started on the left but frequently drifted into central positions, creating a chance for Szoboszlai and narrowly missing the target himself. Helped Liverpool retain possession well in the second half.
Diogo Jota – 6
Relentless in pressing the Villa defense and assisted Salah’s opener with composure. Missed a great chance before halftime and struck the bar in the second half. Substituted.
Substitutes:
Conor Bradley (for Alexander-Arnold, 66’) – 7
Played an excellent through ball for Szoboszlai’s chance and defended resolutely. His injury is a concern. Substituted late.
Darwin Núñez (for Jota, 66’) – 3
Missed an open goal, misplaced passes in good positions, and made several poor decisions. A night to forget.
Luis Díaz (for Mac Allister, 80’)
Had little involvement.
Jarell Quansah (for Bradley, 89’)
Came on in the closing minutes to help see out the draw.
