Not the results Villa wanted but considering the scoreline after 83 minutes we’re sure they’re pretty pleased with themselves. It’s a step in the right direction for Villa in their quest for Champions League football next season but this result still leaves the door slightly ajar for Tottenham Hotspur.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool – LIVE UPDATE
LET’S GO
67 mins: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 3
Diaby with some space down the right drives into the area and tries to beat Alisson at his near post but hits the side netting. It’s a wonder Liverpool haven’t conceded more deploying such a high line all evening.
64 mins: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 3
Nicolo Zaniolo comes on for Youri Tielemans, the scorer of Villa’s only goal thus far. Villa look like they are running out of ideas here. They’re looking sluggish. The crowd doing their best to keep them going. “No loss of hope or faith on the terraces” says Rob Hawthorne as the Villa faithful chant their hearts out.
52 mins: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 3
Liverpool’s high line leads to more trouble. Tielemans plays in Bailey who thinks he’s offside so decides not to play it. Diaby emerges to try and take the ball on but Bailey then decides he wants it. He beats his man in the box and plays it across to Watkins who dispatches but it’s struck off for the intial offside. Bailey is livid with Watkins, for what I don’t know. His lack of communication maybe?
45 mins: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2
Diaz in loads of space down the left, it’s 2 v 1, he plays a ball off the outside of his right boot to Salah but it’s a little heavy. Salah’s attempt is blocked.
Diaby, who looks like he’s playing a more advanced role than Watkins at this stage, is played through once more, he takes a nice first touch to take it away from Gomez then fails in his attempted back heel to Watkins who would have been in a great position if the ball had reached him
GOAL! 22 mins: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2
McAllister’’s first time pass goes to the feet of Gakpo, the Dutchman lays it off to Salah who plays a beautiful cross-field pass to Diaz. Diaz tips it to Gomez on the overlap whose low cross finds Gakpo again to tap in for Liverpool’s second. A lovely Liverpool move ends in a finish but it goes to Var. After some time Simon Hooper eventually gives the goal.
GOAL! 1 min: Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 1
A calamitous start to proceedings for Villa. Elliott’s cross takes an ever-so-slight deflection off Pau Torres and finds the hands of Martinez but the keeper makes a horrendous mistake, letting the ball slip from his grasp and subsequently punching into his own net.
Predicting Peter Drury’s Hanks-related lines tonight
Celebrity Villa fan Tom Hanks has just given a pitchside interview bemoaning the lack of coverage of his side in the United States. One suspects there will be plenty of references to the Hollywood superstar’s movies during the TV commentary this evening (and tomorrow’s match reports)…
Let’s make a pre-emptive strike using our best Peter Drury impression.
“Will it be a case of ‘Catch Me if You Can’ from Unai Emery to Ange Postecoglou in the race for the Champions League?”
“Can Villa ensure Spurs’ top four hopes are Cast Away?”
“Are Villa ready to make a Splash at Europe’s top table?”
Klopp one booking away from spoiling Anfield farewell
Klopp will need to be careful on the sideline tonight. One booking for him and he will potentially spoil an emotional farewell at Anfield on the final day of the season. With Simon Hooper as tonight’s referee, the Liverpool manager feels he may need to be extra careful.
No pressure could lead to proper Klopp football
This could go one of two ways for Liverpool. With a demob happy manager and a team guaranteed to finish third, the release of pressure could lead to some care-free, full throttle Klopp football.
Alternatively, there could be a few players treating tonight as a warm-up to this summer’s Euros. With so little at stake, how much would Liverpool be up for a fight if Villa make it a feisty game?
If the home side do not look like they want victory more from the first whistle, it would be inexcusable.
Emery speaks on securing Champions League spot
Youri Tielemans returns to the starting XI for Villa
After missing out on the last two games for Aston Villa due to a groin injury, Belgian Youri Tielemans returns to the starting line up. Could he play a big part in the host’s push for Europe tonight?
Villa team
Europe awaits
A win tonight for Villa will mean they will play Champions League football for the first time since the 1982-83 season where they reached the quarter finals. The season before they actually won the competition, beating Bayern Munich in the final thanks to a Peter Withe finish.
It’s been a momentous, record-breaking season for Aston Villa, achieving their most points and wins in a season since the 1992-93 season.
McGinn: Villa must find fire to book Champions League spot
John McGinn has urged injury ravaged Aston Villa to “find the fire” and finally secure Champions League qualification.
Ahead of their 55th game of a tiring season, Villa face Liverpool tonight with the incentive of guaranteeing a top-four finish with a win.
Villa’s dreams of reaching a European final were ended by Olympiacos last week and Unai Emery’s squad are being pushed to the limit by a deepening injury list.
Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendía, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers are all ruled out of Villa’s final home game of the season. Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo and Alex Moreno could return but winger Leon Bailey is the latest doubt.
Yet McGinn is demanding one final push from his team to sign off a memorable season on a high.
“It has been a long hard season and certainly one to be proud of but we don’t want to stop short,” he said. “We know what we have to do and we’re so close. It is in our hands and we owe ourselves a performance after the effort throughout the season, the graft every single day coming in.
“We want to get the job done ourselves and get into the top four, which would be an unbelievable achievement, though it won’t take the disappointment away from Thursday night.
“The fans have been there the past few weeks and it is up to us to deliver now. You can wave as many scarves as you want, shout our names as loud as you want, but it is up to us to find that fire and get us over the line.”
Tottenham’s win over Luton on Saturday leaves them four points behind Villa with two games left to play.
Villa have picked up two wins from their last six Premier League matches and produced a jaded, lethargic performance in the semi-final second leg against Olympiacos last Thursday.
McGinn has admitted they should have already booked their place in next season’s Champions League.
“That is the frustrating thing, we could have had it wrapped up before now,” he said. “There has been a determination for five or six weeks, but the Premier League is extremely difficult.
“We have certainly had some setbacks along the way but this group will keep fighting.”
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