Liverpool’s Finishing Issues Resurface in Stalemate With Aston Villa | OneFootball

Liverpool and Aston Villa Share the Spoils: Post Match Analysis from Anfield Index

Liverpool’s trip to Villa Park ended in frustration as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa. Despite leading early through Mohamed Salah, defensive lapses and missed chances saw the Reds drop points in their Premier League title charge. On Anfield Index’s Post Match Raw, Trev Downey, Dave Hendrick, and Hari Sethi dissected the result, with strong views on Liverpool’s finishing, defensive structure, and the implications for the title race.

Missed Opportunities and Frustrating Finishing

Liverpool controlled large spells of the game and created enough chances to win comfortably, yet key moments of wastefulness proved costly. Trev Downey highlighted one of the game’s most glaring misses from Diogo Jota, describing it as an “awful miss” when he was one-on-one with the keeper.

However, much of the post-match discussion revolved around Darwin Núñez. Hendrick was particularly critical of the Uruguayan striker, saying, “Darwin missing, you kind of factor that in, but Diogo Jota missed big chances tonight that normally you would expect him to put away. Mo missed a big headed chance that normally you’d expect him to at least get it on target.”

A defining moment came in the 73rd minute when Dominik Szoboszlai squared the ball for Núñez, who somehow blasted it over from point-blank range. Hendrick didn’t hold back: “All he needed to do was get there and block it into the net. But Darwin decided he was going for glory and has sailed it over the bar and off into the Birmingham night.”

Sethi echoed the sentiment, lamenting Liverpool’s poor conversion rate: “There are a number of kind of substandard performances there… but really, whilst there were poor things in all three of our recent games, we should have won this one.”

Defensive Concerns and Cheap Goals

While finishing was an issue, defensive errors were just as damaging. Liverpool conceded two preventable goals, and Hendrick pointed out the lack of communication and urgency in dealing with the threats. “Nothing tonight was Arne Slot’s fault. Arne coached a 3-1 win. You go back and watch that game anytime you want—that’s a 3-1 win. The issue is we gave up two bad goals and we missed a bunch of great chances.”

Trev Downey, however, was more concerned about the bigger trend, stating that Liverpool had now kept only “three clean sheets in the last 13 Premier League games,” raising concerns about their ability to shut games down.

On the first goal, Liverpool failed to clear their lines properly. “Two of our lads jump with Mings, and neither of them win the ball… Ultimately, if Alisson calls for it, Szoboszlai leaves it and nothing comes of it,” said Hendrick, placing blame on a lack of defensive command.

The second goal was arguably worse. Luca Digne’s cross found Ollie Watkins, who glanced his header past Alisson. Hendrick was furious at the ease with which the cross was delivered, criticising Ryan Gravenberch’s attempt to block it: “For some reason, he throws his leg in the air. What are you doing? Play for the ball on the floor!”

Sethi added that Liverpool’s defending had become too passive: “We need teams to have to work hard to score against us… instead, it’s too easy.”

The Title Race Perspective

Despite the frustrating draw, there was some perspective to be had. Liverpool extended their lead over Arsenal, albeit with the Gunners having a game in hand. Hendrick urged supporters not to panic: “People are behaving as if Arsenal are going to go on this run where they win every game between now and the end of the season, and they’re just not.”

He laid out the points required for Liverpool to win the league, stressing that the Reds still have a strong advantage: “All we need is eight wins and two draws from our last 12 games. Win our home games, find two draws away, and we will be champions.”

Looking ahead, the hosts of Post Match Raw emphasised the importance of bouncing back quickly. With Manchester City up next, the need for a response is clear.

Conclusion

Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Aston Villa was a frustrating result, but not a fatal blow to their title ambitions. Wasteful finishing, defensive lapses, and questionable decision-making ultimately cost them. As Dave Hendrick summed up: “It’s disappointing when you drop points, but if you’re going away to one of the big eight and getting a draw, it’s not a bad result at all.”