By Aiden Gharibian
The game ends 2–2 in an action-packed contest. Liverpool will be frustrated to leave with just a point after creating far more chances, but it’s not the worst outcome. The Reds finished with 2.45 expected goals compared to Aston Villa’s 0.75, suggesting that some players lacked their finishing touch today. But who shoulders the blame?
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In the midst of a few missed chances, Darwin Nunez will feel his miss was the worst of the bunch. Arne Slot brought on Darwin Nunez in the 66th minute in hopes of finding the winner, but the striker failed to make the desired impact. His missed chance was worth 0.75 expected goals, a number identical to the expected goals Aston Villa had throughout the entire match. If there was a match to back up all the claims from reputable sources about his likely summer departure, this was surely it. Along with this, Diogo Jota had a poor miss in the first half following Villa’s first goal, but he has some credit in the bank for his unselfish play for Salah’s goal. Now besides the performances of a couple of players, there is lots to say about the manner in which the game was controlled.
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Arne Slot’s starting XI raised some eyebrows, with Díaz benched and Jones deployed on the left wing. In hindsight, Díaz’s energy could have been crucial from the start. The substitutions (or lack thereof) also proved ineffective, with Wataru Endo left on the bench while fatigue is clearly settling in for Ryan Gravenberch. There remain some question marks surrounding the substitution of Trent Alexander Arnold, as a player of his calibre can always create a magical moment out of nothing. Lastly, there has been a growing concern about the lack of minutes for Federico Chiesa, as he has only ever played 18 minutes in the Premier League. But how worried should Liverpool fans be about the title race?
There is no denying that Liverpool dropping these points is a concern in the title race. However, it only becomes a real threat if Arsenal capitalize on every dropped point. Though Arsenal are one match behind, Liverpool sit 8 points ahead, giving them plenty to chase. Liverpool’s slip-up could prove costly later in the season, but for now, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will fight back, and if Liverpool regain their form.
