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Looking to keep the pressure on league leaders Manchester City, Liverpool traveled to Aston Villa for their Premier League engagement on Tuesday night (10 May).
Following the Reds’ 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (7 May), Manchester City opened up a three-point lead with a 5-0 win over Newcastle United a day later.
The Merseyside giants required a win at Villa Park to put their title rivals under the cosh. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard did not make it easy for Jurgen Klopp’s team. But ultimately, the visitors’ quality shone through, with them securing a 2-1 comeback win.
Following the victory, the Reds find themselves level on points with City, who have a game in hand. Pep Guardiola's side also boast a better goal difference.
Liverpool endured a shambolic start at Aston Villa. After a spell of horrific defending, they found themselves trailing, courtesy of Douglas Luiz poking home from close range in the third minute. Klopp's team, however, responded just three minutes later through Joel Matip, who was partially at fault for Villa’s goal.
Ollie Watkins then came close to restoring the hosts' lead, but he failed to control the ball from close range. Just a couple of minutes later, former Liverpool striker Danny Ings misplaced his header from just 10 yards out.
Liverpool's Naby Keita then squandered a decent opportunity from close range before Curtis Jones called Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez into action.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came close with a free-kick in the second half, but the winning goal finally came through Sadio Mane in the 65th minute. Alisson Becker then kept out Ings' effort in the closing minutes of the game as the visitors held out for a win.
It was not the best performance from the 19-time English champions this season, with some of their players struggling and some shining brightly.
Here are three Reds players who performed commendably and two who were below par against Gerrard’s Villa on Tuesday night:
Performed: Joel Matip
Joel Matip started alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool's defense against Villa. The experienced centre-back was at fault for the opener, losing the initial header which allowed Douglas Luiz to turn in the rebound in the third minute.
Luckily for the traveling fans, Matip did not allow the setback to derail his confidence as he redeemed himself just three minutes later. He opportunitistically latched on to Van Dijk’s rebound and prodded it home from close range to draw his side level.
Against Gerrard’s team, Matip made five clearances, won three of his five duels, accurately delivered three long balls, and played a key pass.
Not the most convincing defensive performance from the Cameroonian, but his goal made a huge difference.
Underperformed: Fabinho
Fabinho endured a torrid night at Villa Park. The holding midfielder committed meaningless fouls, never settled on the ball, and tragically underhit a pass to Alisson, who miraculously got away with it.
In the 30th minute, he seemingly stretched too far and hurt his hamstring, causing Jurgen Klopp to bring in Jordan Henderson in his place.
Before being subbed off, Fabinho committed three fouls, getting booked for one, lost three duels, and ceded possession thrice.
With the Reds playing Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday (May 14), Fabinho’s injury is bound to make Klopp uncomfortable.
Performed: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is arguably the best attack-minded full-back in the sport at present.
His attacking qualities were for all to see on Tuesday night as he weaved his way past the opposition at will. He struggled against Philippe Coutinho from time to time, but his flamboyant attacking play made up for it.
Early in the second half, the Englishman dispatched an impeccable free-kick, which unluckily hit the side netting. He also delivered some teasing balls into the Villa box, one of which was squandered by Naby Keita.
Alexander-Arnold won four of his six duels, made two interceptions, accurately delivered nine long balls, and completed three of four attempted dribbles against the Villains.
A confident display by one of the best in the business.
Underperformed: Diogo Jota
At the start of the year, Diogo Jota was popping up with impressive performances every single week, setting up goals and scoring himself.
He has been reduced to a shadow of his confident self in recent games, often fluffing his lines when it matters the most.
Jurgen Klopp handed Jota an opportunity to get his confidence back by putting on an impressive performance at Villa Park. Instead, the Portugal international rarely did anything of note, failing to register even a single shot on target.
Isolated from his teammates, Jota had two shots, both off-target, ceded possession 14 times and lost seven of his nine duels.
It was certainly not the performance he was looking for ahead of the weekend's FA Cup final against Chelsea.
Performed: Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane once again produced an excellent and confident performance on Tuesday night.
The forward took a while to get into the game, but once he did, there was no turning back. His pressing, as always, was superb. The Senegalese won his fair share of duels, created chances, and, most importantly, scored the winner in the second half.
In the 65th minute, Luis Diaz’s inch-perfect delivery found Mane in space inside the Aston Villa penalty box. The former Southampton man positioned himself perfectly and headed the ball into the bottom-right corner, making the finish look considerably easier than it was.
Mane attempted three more shots, with one of them testing Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The Liverpool No. 10 also played a key pass, won eight duels, drew three fouls, and accurately delivered two long balls.
