Liverpool manager Arne Slot would have gladly accepted being eight points clear at the summit of the Premier League with 12 matches remaining in his inaugural season at the helm. However, he couldn’t conceal his disappointment following a 2-2 stalemate against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
A win would have propelled his team 10 points ahead of Arsenal, despite having played one additional match, but the Reds dropped points for the second time in just three outings, leaving the race slightly more open.
“I’m not really that happy, to be honest. When you look back at the match, we created far more opportunities than they did,” Slot expressed to TNT Sports. “I believe we did everything required to secure a result here, possibly even a victory.“
The evening was a rollercoaster of emotions for Liverpool, who started strongly and gained the lead in the 28th minute thanks to Mohamed Salah’s impressive 24th league goal of the season.
However, goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins saw Villa take the lead by halftime before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected shot brought the scores level just past the hour mark.
Substitute Darwin Nunez squandered a golden opportunity, and Slot’s men had their hearts in their mouths at the end as Villa substitute Donyell Malen narrowly missed the post with a strike.
Despite having 17 shots compared to Villa’s nine, Liverpool were left lamenting their lack of accuracy in front of goal.
“In the dying moments, Villa could have snatched the win,” Slot, whose squad has only lost once in the league all season, noted.
“However, when you assess all our chances in succession, it’s quite clear that I’m not satisfied with a 2-2 draw. Coming here is always a challenge due to the quality of their team and the support from their fans, but I felt we were on the brink of delivering a truly excellent performance.“
With Arsenal now in second place and holding a game in hand, the pressure is set to rise on Liverpool over the weekend. Arsenal will host West Ham United on Saturday, and a victory would narrow the gap to five points ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the reigning champions, Manchester City, on Sunday.
“Playing for Liverpool always comes with its share of pressure, just as it does for Arsenal,” Slot acknowledged. “We’re aiming to achieve something significant together this season, and we have all the necessary components. With 12 matches still to go and the Champions League ahead, we’re content with our current position.
“We may have played a few too many matches where we deserved greater rewards. I’m not referring to the Everton match when I consider the quality of our play, but conceding in the final moments was indeed a bitter disappointment.“
One concern for Slot was an injury to Conor Bradley, who had just come off the bench to replace Alexander-Arnold.
“It occurred during a sprint,” he explained. “You can never be sure what it is, but when a player has to come off, it’s rarely a good sign.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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