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Key events
Interesting that Sky awarded John Duran for man of the match after his two late goals for Villa. I’m not sure about that.
Oh, and I get quite a few Duran Duran emails and tweets that I won’t be honoring in this MBM.
Full time: Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool
What a mesmerizing game. It’s not the result Villa wanted, but it’s certainly a point gained, not two lost.
90+8 min.: Diaby limps off with cramps. The energy has gone slightly out of the game just when you thought it might reach its climax.
90+7 min.: Liverpool have settled slightly. Finally, the guests stepped on the ball. I wonder what Klopp thinks about all this. Surely he will miss this? Maybe he longs for his armchair and a nice glass of witbier.
90+5 min.: “I just logged in and scrolled back through MBM to read the match from the beginning,” Rick Harris emailed. “I almost fell off my chair laughing when you said Martinez has a claim to be the best goalkeeper in the world. He’s not even in the top 10.”
Honestly, Rick. I mean, Martinez was voted the best goalkeeper in the world at the FIFA awards. But for sure.
90+3 min.: A world class save from Alisson that you have to keep Liverpool in the game! Wow. Diaby competed cleanly, just as he did in the first half. This time he steadies himself, whips a ripsnorter at goal and Alisson makes an absurd save with his right hand to tip the ball back.
90+2 min.: Email from Rick Harris… “If Villa lose this then Spurs may just have the motivation to beat City tomorrow because their last game of the season is relegation Sheffield United, while Villa will have to beat rampant Palace at Selhurst Park” .
90 minutes: Nine minutes added here. Time for a winner! What kind of game.
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool (Duran 88)
Villa did it! Seconds after that Liverpool have another goal booked for offside (Nunes, obviously), draw for Villa! Diaby beats McAllister in midfield, drives in defence. The Frenchman tries to find Duran with a pass, but it’s a bit of a hospital pass, high and wide to the striker’s thighs. Duran delivers a knee, the ball ricochets off his thigh and crosses Alisson into the Liverpool net! Extremely lucky goal, but (mostly) Villa Park don’t care. In the stands, Tom Hanks roars with delight.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-3 Liverpool (Duran 83)
Second MBMers curse from me, Villa is back baby! I’ll shut up in a moment. Some absolutely terrible play in midfield from Mac Allister gifted possession to Villa and Durán cut in with a fine low shot at the near post! The game begins? The game begins!
82 minutes: The cottage looks worn. It’s been a long old season and going out of Europe last week was going to take a mental and physical toll. Liverpool are on the front foot again and Alexander-Arnold fires a fierce shot at goal from the edge of the box, turned away by Martinez.
79 minutes: Zaniolo is down and will have to retire. It’s a shame for the Italian and probably the last time we’ll see him in a Villa shirt. Callum Chambers and John Duran for Zaniolo and Douglas Lewis.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s reserves are already making a difference. Soboszlay exchanges passes with Salah and the Hungarian finds space in the Villa penalty area, but Martinez closes the corner expertly, Schmeichel-style.
78 minutes: Compare Liverpool’s bench to Villa’s tonight. One gets the feeling that Liverpool I will see this now. Villa went wild before 15 minutes but failed to capitalize on a couple of excellent openings.
Liverpool: Konate, Soboslai, Nunes, Jones, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Baycetic, Kelleher, Bradley.
Villa: Chambers, Lenglet, Zaniolo, Duran, Olsen, Kessler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, Munroe, Kelliman.
76 minutes: Liverpool make a quadruple (!) shift. Klopp really should have made those reservations 10 minutes ago. Gakpo, Elliott, Diaz and Endo retired. Szoboszlai, Nunez, Jones and Gravenberch enter the fray.
74 minutes: A few words about Liverpool’s forwards. Salah barely kicked the ball in the second half. I would suggest that although Gakpo is a neat enough footballer, he is not elite and won’t win you over Premier League the title or the Champions League if he is the main man. Maybe a good first reserve. Maybe Gakpo will be transformed next season under a new Dutch manager and I’ll eat my words. Maybe not.
72 minutes: This game could easily be 5-3 for Villa.
70 minutes: Villa are having all sorts of joys on that right flank. The ball was cut back to Zaniolo from the penalty spot and the Italian had a shot at goal, but Alisson got down well to the left. Liverpool break and McGinn trips Diaz. The Scot is the first player of the night to receive a yellow card, a warning he accepts without complaint.
69 minutes: Bailly is the last to break free from Liverpool’s defenders, but Gomes makes a superb cover save to keep the Jamaican at bay.
68 minutes: Liverpool looks terribly shaky at the back and Diaby gets in behind the Reds defense again. The corner is narrow and the Frenchman shoots into the side netting with his right foot. Poor effort.
67 minutes: Villa Park is a special place. The noise is absolutely deafening as the home fans roar their team forward with their own rendition of ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’.
65 minutes: Villa make a change: Zaniolo comes on for Tielemans, meaning McGinn will move into the middle on the left of midfield.
“Re: Zaniolo – I think he’s on the mend and I’d keep him around if it were me; he has produced more than Diaby who has really not lived up to his promise and has been quite a disappointing watch this season,” Benjamin Gravestock emailed. “Re: Mings, I would guess that Carlos, Konsa and Torres are all ahead of him in the right order. Clemens Lenglet is a little less than a liability, which is a shame; However, I don’t see Ming going back to the sidelines.”
63 minutes: “I hope Southgate is paying due attention to Harvey Elliott, whose touches are simply sublime,” emails Colm Fordham. “The game sums up Liverpool’s season. Flashes of brilliance followed by defensive errors.”
Elliott is certainly making his way into the conversation. With Henderson injured and out of form for Ajax, there is definitely a place in midfield. Maybe James Madison could lose his seat too? Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo are also certainly contenders for a call-up.
61 minutes: What game is this by the way.
GOAL CANCELED!
59 minutes: Liverpool are the next to have a goal recorded as an offside and it’s another close goal. Diaz rushes towards the goal, takes it to Elliott, who puts the ball into the empty net. But look at the VAR and that’s ruled out.
56 minutes: The second half is eerily similar to the first. Early Liverpool goal, Villa back into it. The hosts have yet to find a goal.
54 minutes: Alisson almost gets penalized for sloppy play at the back! Watkins gets a leg kick as the keeper is cleared, Diaby picks up the loose ball in the Liverpool area, cuts back to Watkins. The striker is facing away from goal and tries a back heel finish but misses it completely! Villa fans are devastated.
53 minutes: Some real tension between Villa teammates Bailly and Watkins, with the latter claiming Bailly should have held his run or left it to Diaby (who was right behind him). Ridiculous protection from Liverpool, who got away there. Villa have one of the fastest attacks in world football with Diaby-Watkins-Bailey. What on earth are they doing playing defensive line near midfield?!
GOAL CANCELED!
52 minutes: Villa have the ball in the net after a suicidal defensive line from Liverpool … Baillie raced down the right, checked back, squared to Watkins, who flicked the ball past Alisson! That’s 20 league goals for the season for the striker, isn’t it? No! VAR disallows offside goal. Bailey had just left.
50 minutes: Emery will be furious. Elliott’s cross and Quansach’s header were admirable, but this goal was all about Villa’s lack of concentration.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool (Quansach 48)
Liverpool start the second half like a train, as they did the first! Elliot takes a brilliant free-kick to the back post and Quansach rises incredibly high to head home the far post! Martinez didn’t move!
Peeeeeep! We’re off to Villa Park again.
Reading for half an hour:
If xG is your thing, go outside a little more. However, Diego Carlos really should have equalized Aston Villa. 0.99!
Half time: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
This is the great half of football. And a nice result if you’re a Tottenham fan.
45+4 min.: Bad end to the half. Gakpo, Elliott and McGinn waste possession unnecessarily.
45+2 min.: McGinn is down, clutching his ribs. This seems to have been the meeting with Mac Allister. It looks like he’ll be fine to continue, but the Scot isn’t too pleased.
45 minutes: Liverpool break through at speed and suddenly two on two at the back! Diaz breaks the trap but his pass to Salah is poor and mishandled and the Egyptian is forced out. Aston Villa recovered. Five minutes added here.
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