Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool: Klopp’s final away ends in chaotic draw

Jurgen Klopp‘s final away game as Liverpool FC manager ended in chaotic fashion, perhaps summing up not only the season but also his nine years as a whole.

Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool

Premier League (37), Villa Park
May 13, 2024

Goals

Martinez (OG) 02′ (assist: Elliott)
Tielemans 12′
Gakpo 23′ (assist: Gomez)
Quansah 48′ (assist: Elliott)
Duran 85′
Duran 88′

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Liverpool have lacked luck all season and consistently gone behind early in games, so it was inevitable that in this dead-rubber match they got a lucky start inside two minutes.

Villa ‘keeper Emi Martinez fumbled a deflection off a cross from Harvey Elliott for a horrendous error to give Liverpool the early lead.

It didn’t take long for the travelling Kop to begin serenading Jurgen, beginning a rousing rendition of ‘Jurgen said to me…’ that continued throughout the evening at Villa Park.

The Reds’ lead didn’t last long, though, Ollie Watkins got around Jarell Quansah and squared for Youri Tielemans to fire past Alisson.

The hosts knew that a win in their final home game would guarantee them a place in next season’s Champions League – the first time they’d be in Europe’s elite competition in 41 years.

Whereas Liverpool knew that no matter the outcome of the remaining games they would be finishing third.

Both defences looked pretty awful and Liverpool re-took the lead before the half hour when Joe Gomez‘s ball across goal was tapped in by Cody Gakpo – it took a lengthy VAR review to confirm it was onside.

Liverpool’s defence, though, often looked vulnerable and Moussa Diaby should have equalised before half time but blazed over.

Half time: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

Liverpool got another early goal after the interval; Elliott’s well-delivered free-kick nicely headed home by Quansah for the centre-back’s first league goal for the club.

Villa had a goal then ruled out for offside, before Liverpool had another also ruled out for offside, both after lengthy VAR checks.

Confused Villa fans sang about ‘the Scouser in the black’ after the VAR in a room 100 miles away ruled out a goal for a factual offside. They then resorted to the full vermin song playbook with songs about poverty and joblessness.

A very end-of-season feel continued apace in the closing stages, neither side showing any control or defensive solidity.

Alexis Mac Allister gave the ball away on the edge of the box and Jhon Duran applied a good finish to put Villa back into the game.

Darwin Nunez, off the bench, had the ball in the net soon after but predictably he was offside.

A minute later, Villa had the equaliser, albeit in fortunate circumstances as the ball deflected off Duran and past Alisson.

Only a superb save by Alisson denied Liverpool turning a two-goal lead into defeat. In truth, it was shambolic again from Liverpool.

As has been the case for the past six weeks, Liverpool were defensively shocking and utterly lacking of any control of the game.

One game remains in Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager, against Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

TIA Man of the Match: Harvey Elliott

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Referee: Simon Hooper

Aston Villa: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Luiz, Tielemans; Bailey, McGinn, Diaby; Watkins

Subs: Olsen, Chambers, Lenglet, Zaniolo, Duran, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, Munroe, Kellyman

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Endo (Gravenberch 76′), Elliott (Jones 75′), Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz (Szoboszlai 75′), Gakpo (Nunez 75′)

Subs not used: Kelleher, Konate, Tsimikas, Bajcetic, Bradley

Next Match: Wolves (home, Sunday 19 May)