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Game #5668

Aston Villa

Saturday, 20 May 2023

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Drew

7th (-1)

Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟩 🟨

Premier League

Liverpool

Anfield

Attendance: 53,306

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

Liverpool

1-1

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Aston Villa

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Assist(s) | Douglas Luiz | 27' |

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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MATCH TIMELINE

Saturday, 20 May 2023

💥 | 22’ Penalty miss, Ollie Watkins
⚽ | 27’ Goal, 1-0, Jacob Ramsey, Assist by Douglas Luiz
💥 | 42’ Lucas Digne down injured in penalty area, Liverpool play on
💥 | 45’ Tyrone Mings wins ball but referee John Brooks deems a high boot
🟨 | 45’ Booking, Tyrone Mings, High Boot
💥 | 47’ Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) removes shirt, no booking from referee John Brooks
💥 | 47’ Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) is allowed by referee John Brooks to undertake treatment on the pitch
💥 | 49’ VAR check for Tyrone Mings red card
💥 | 49’ The home crowd boo referee John Brooks for not sending off Tyrone Mings
💥 | 49’ Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) is allowed by referee John Brooks to participate in the free kick awarded against FA rules which state that ‘any player requiring treatment must be given such treatment off the field of play’.
💥 | 51’ VAR check for possible Liverpool penalty after Jordan Henderson falls to the floor
💥 | 54’ Referee John Brooks plays 9 minutes of injury time
🕒 | HT Liverpool 0-1 Aston Villa
🟨 | 53’ Booking, Lucas Digne
🔁 | 53’ Sub off, Lucas Digne, Sub on, Álex Moreno
🔁 | 53’ Sub off, Leon Bailey, Sub on, Ashley Young
💥 | 55’ Cody Gakpo puts the ball into the net from an offside pass, Referee John Brooks awards the goal
💥 | 56’ VAR instructs referee John Brooks to review his decision on the pitch side monitor
💥 | 56’ VAR instructs referee John Brooks to review his decision on the pitch side monitor
💥 | 56’ Goal disallowed
🔁 | 65’ Sub off, Álex Moreno, Sub on, Emiliano Buendía
🟨 | 77’ Booking, Emiliano Martínez, Timewasting
🔁 | 87’ Sub off, Ollie Watkins, Sub on, Jhon Durán
🔁 | 87’ Sub off, Douglas Luiz, Sub on, Leander Dendoncker
⚽ | 89’ Goal, 1-1, (Liverpool), Roberto Firmino
🟨 | 90’+1 Booking, Ashley Young
🟨 | 90’+6 Booking, Ezri Konsa
💥 | 90’+10 Referee John Brooks plays 10 minutes of injury time
🕒 | FT Liverpool 1-1 Aston Villa

Match Statistics

Possession F | 34%
Possession A | 66%
Shots F | 6
Shots A | 10
Shots on Target F | 3
Shots on Target A | 5
Corners F | 4
Corners A | 9
Fouls F | 13
Fouls A | 16

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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ON THIS DAY

Saturday, 20 May 2023

  • Lucky lucky Liverpool strike again as yet another last minute goal rescues them from defeat to a far superior Villa side.

  • But Villa guarantee a top 10 finish for the first time since 2010-11 and will finish no lower than 9th with 6th place still a possibility ahead of the final game of the season against the club currently sitting one place above Villa in seventh - Brighton & Hove Albion.

  • Ashley Young makes his 247th and final appearance for Villa as his second spell comes to an end with a record of W107 D68 L72, 39 Goals, 64 Assists, 46 Bookings and 2 Red Cards across his Villa career.

  • John McGinn makes his 175th start in a Villa shirt (182 Appearances) to make it W71 D39 L72, 17 Goals, 21 Assists and 44 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

  • Douglas Luiz makes his 150th appearance in a Villa shirt (133 Starts) to make it W56 D27 L67, 11 Goals, 14 Assists, 35 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

  • On his 100th appearance in a Villa shirt (70 Starts), still aged just 21, Jacob Ramsey scores his 2nd goal in two games and his 6th of the season, equalling his total goals tally from 2021-22. Ramsey's record now stands at W41 D16 L43, 11 Goals, 8 Assists and 13 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

  • Boubacar Kamara makes his 25th appearance in a Villa shirt (22 Starts) to make it W12 D3 L10 so far in his Villa career.

  • Ezri Konsa receives his 20th booking on his 137th appearance in a Villa shirt (132 Starts) to make it W54 D26 L57, 6 Goals, 3 Assists, 20 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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DEBUT APPEARANCES

None

FINAL APPEARANCES

🔴 RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 2007-23 🕒 247 | 222 (25) | ⚽ 39 | 🔥 64 | 🇺 24 | #797 |

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Aston Villa

European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
UEFA Cup / Europa League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96

Liverpool

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European Cup / Champions League: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
UEFA Cup / Europa League: 🏆🏆🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 2021-22

Aston Villa

Liverpool

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FIXTURE HISTORY

Villa v

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Liverpool

Previous 5 vs. Liverpool: 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟥

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

FIXTURE DETAILS

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Season | 2022-23 |
Matchday | #40 |
League Game | #37 |
Manager Game | #26 |
Saturday, 20 May 2023
Attendance | 53,306 |

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🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

MATCH SUMMARY

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Manager: Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | Hondarribia, 2022-
Referee: John Brooks | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Leicestershire, 2016-
Kick off: 3.00pm
Half Time Score: 🟩 1-0
Full Time Result: 🟨 Drew
Full Time Score: 🟨 1-1
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟩 🟨

Scorers
Timeline
On This Day
Trophies
Matches
Fixture

MANAGERIAL RECORD

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Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME

🕒 26 | 🟩 | 14 🟨 | 4 🟥 8 | 1.77

Villa Career Form:

Top 4

ALL THE MATCHES LED BY:

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Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

MATCH OFFICIALS

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Referee: John Brooks | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Leicestershire, 2016- 🆘
Matches Officiated: 9
🟩 : 8
🟨 : 1
🟥 : 0
🆘 : 1
Previous 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩
Last Match: 🟩 15 Apr 23, Villa 3-0 Saudi Arabia (h)
Cards: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
Assistants: Matthew Wilkes, James Mainwaring.
Fourth official: Michael Oliver.
VAR: Tony Harrington.
Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh.

Villa have won every match in which John Brooks has officiated (8).

ALL THE MATCHES REFEREED BY:

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CARDS

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🟨 Tyrone Mings, High Boot
🟨 Lucas Digne
🟨 Emiliano Martínez, Timewasting
🟨 Ashley Young
🟨 Ezri Konsa

🟨 Trent Alexander-Arnold
🟨 Ibrahima Konaté
🟨 Fabinho

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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TEAM NEWS

TEAM STATS

An unexpected line up sees Matty Cash, Lucas Digne and Boubacar Kamara replacing Ashley Young, Álex Moreno and Emiliano Buendía.

Meanwhile just eight subs are named including a third goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo.

Starting XI Average Age: | 26.78 |
Bench Average Age: | 28.02 |
Squad Average Age: | 27.40 |
Subs Average Age: | 28.40 |
Oldest Starter: GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | 30.73 |
Youngest Starter: M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 21.99 |
Oldest Squad Player: RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 37.89 |
Youngest Squad Player: CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | 19.45 |
Oldest Substitute: RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 37.89 |
Youngest Substitute: CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | 19.45 |

Referee
Manager

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

MANAGER

Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

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Aston Villa

GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | 🟨 |
LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟨 |
CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟨 |
RB Matty Cash | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇵🇱 |
M Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 |
M John McGinn | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ |
W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | 🔁 |
CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔁 |

MANAGER

Jürgen Klopp | 🇩🇪 | 🤡

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Liverpool

GK Alisson | 🇧🇷 |
RB Trent Alexander-Arnold | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟨 |
CB Ibrahima Konaté | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
CB Virgil van Dijk | 🇳🇱 |
LB Andrew Robertson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 🔁 |
M Curtis Jones | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔁 |
M Fabinho | 🇧🇷 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
M Jordan Henderson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔁 |
W Mohamed Salah | 🇪🇬 |
W Luis Díaz | 🇨🇴 | 🔁 |
F Cody Gakpo | 🇳🇱 |

Line Ups

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

SUBSTITUTES

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🔁 LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 | for LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 53’ |
🔁 RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟨 | 🔴 | for W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | 53’ |
🔁 W Emiliano Buendía | 🇦🇷 | for LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | 65’ |
🔁 M Leander Dendoncker | 🇧🇪 | for M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 87’ |
🔁 CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | for CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 87’ |

SUBSTITUTES

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🔁 | W Diogo Jota | 🇵🇹 | for M Curtis Jones | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 63’ |
🔁 | M James Milner (ex) | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | for M Jordan Henderson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 72’ |
🔁 | F Roberto Firmino | 🇧🇷 | ⚽ | for LB Andrew Robertson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | 72’ |
🔁 | LB Konstantinos Tsimikas | 🇬🇷 | for W Luis Díaz | 🇨🇴 | 72’ |
🔁 | M Harvey Elliott | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | for M Fabinho | 🇧🇷 | 81’ |

Substitutes

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

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GK Robin Olsen | 🇸🇪 |
GK Viljami Sinisalo | 🇫🇮 |
W Bertrand Traoré | 🇧🇫 |

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

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GK Caoimhin Kelleher | 🇮🇪 |
CB Joe Gomez | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
CB Joel Matip | 🇨🇲 |
M Fábio Carvalho | 🇵🇹 |

Player Positions:

GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half


M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward

Match Symbols:

⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution

🟨 | Booking

🟥 | Sending off

🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game

Squad Bios

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

SQUAD STATS

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1st XI Cost: £166.19m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 6/11
Homegrown: 1/11
Subs Cost: £74.71m
Team Cost: £240.90m
Squad Cost: £260.61m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 7/20
Homegrown: 2/20

SQUAD STATS

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1st XI Cost: £347.84m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 : 4/11
Homegrown: 2/11
Subs Cost: £90.32m
Team Cost: £438.16m
Squad Cost: £447.75m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 : 7/20
Homegrown: 3/20

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

MATCHDAY SQUAD

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GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | £19.58m |
GK Robin Olsen | 🇸🇪 | £3.15m |
GK Viljami Sinisalo | 🇫🇮 | Free |

LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | £27.00m |
RB Matty Cash | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇵🇱 | £14.18m |
LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | £12.00m |
RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Free |

CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £20.60m |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £11.97m |

M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | £15.12m |
M Leander Dendoncker | 🇧🇪 | £13.50m |
M John McGinn | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | £2.79m |
M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |
M Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 | Free |

W Emiliano Buendía | 🇦🇷 | £34.56m |
W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | £28.80m |
W Bertrand Traoré | 🇧🇫 | £16.56m |

CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £27.72m |
CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | £14.65m |

MATCHDAY SQUAD

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GK Alisson | 🇧🇷 | £56.25m |
GK Caoimhin Kelleher | 🇮🇪 | Youth |

LB Konstantinos Tsimikas | 🇬🇷 | £11.70m |
LB Andrew Robertson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | £7.90m |
RB Trent Alexander-Arnold | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |

CB Virgil van Dijk | 🇳🇱 | £76.19m |
CB Ibrahima Konaté | 🇫🇷 | £36.00m |
CB Joe Gomez | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £4.41m |
CB Joel Matip | 🇨🇲 | Free |

M Fabinho | 🇧🇷 | £40.50m |
M Jordan Henderson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £16.20m |
M Fábio Carvalho | 🇵🇹 | £5.18m |
M Harvey Elliott | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £1.49m |
M Curtis Jones | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |
M James Milner (ex) | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Free |

W Luis Díaz | 🇨🇴 | £40.50m |
W Diogo Jota | 🇵🇹 | £40.23m |
W Mohamed Salah | 🇪🇬 | £37.80m |

F Roberto Firmino | 🇧🇷 | £36.90m |
F Cody Gakpo | 🇳🇱 | £36.50m |

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

UNAVAILABLE

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Injury | 4 |
GK Jed Steer | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Achilles, 6 Aug 2022 [40]
M Philippe Coutinho | 🇧🇷 | 20 May 2023 [1]
CB Calum Chambers | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 20 May 2023 [1]
CB Diego Carlos | 🇧🇷 | 20 May 2023 [1]

Unregistered | 1 |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

Out On Loan | 12 |
M Finn Azaz | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Plymouth
CF Wesley | 🇧🇷 | Levante
W Jaden Philogene-Bidace | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Cardiff
CF Keinan Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Watford
FB Ben Chrisene | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Kilmarnock
M Tim Iroegbunam | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | QPR
CF Cameron Archer | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Middlesbrough
M Morgan Sanson | 🇫🇷 | Strasbourg
CF Louie Barry | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Salford City
M Aaron Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Middlesbrough
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | Luton Town
CB Lamare Bogarde | 🇳🇱 | Bristol Rovers

UNAVAILABLE

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Not Recorded

Unavailable

LEAGUE TABLE

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MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

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Tables & Programmes

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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MATCH QUOTES

“Overall in 90 minutes I think the team played a very competitive match and had a really high commitment for every ball. “If you want to win here you have to defend well. In the first half we did magnificently but in the second half they had more players higher. Tactically it was different. “I am very proud of their work. We have the last match against Brighton with Europe in our hands. “We are working like we wanted at the beginning. I’m very proud of our supporters also, travelling to each match and enjoying with us this moment. “On Sunday we play at home with them, ready to close the season with a good challenge.” Unai Emery. --- “Before the game, with their form, we would probably have taken a point. “But we were 1-0 up for so long and we had chances to kill the game. But a point at Anfield is really good. “We’re disappointed not to get the three points. When you come to places like this, the first 15 and last 20 we were definitely under [pressure]. “But if you’re going to come to these places and get a result, you have to dig deep and we did that. “I think if we are going to get a European place we want it to be in our hands. It’s going to be a big, tough game against Brighton who are also fighting for a position.” Jacob Ramsey. --- “I’m very proud of our work given the challenge we had. Two months ago we were speaking about if we could get to the last match against Brighton at home playing for something important. Now it’s in our hands. “Today this draw is amazing. In the first half we played in our game plan, being strong – not only defensively, offensively we were trying to build up and breaking their high press. “We had a penalty, we scored one goal and progressively we were making more metres on the pitch. In the second half we needed to defend more than the first half but we were brilliant.” He added: “We have to remember our supporters as well because they are travelling away to every match that we are playing. “The players are taking the demands I am trying to impose for everybody – for me, for the players, for the club. “To play for a European place this week is a really important step ahead we are doing. Still, we have one week and we are going to enjoy it but practice as well as possible and be very focused. “We have Tottenham and Brentford behind us now and but we will need to win this match and of course, we will wait for the two matches that Brighton will play, but minimum we can get a conference place and I think to be in Europe is fantastic.” Unai Emery. Dignity personified. --- “Aston Villa were screwed in the second half and they didn’t know how to deal with it.” “I think 15 minutes [added time] would have been all right. We have to talk about that.” Jurgen Klopp. Petulance personified. As the Liverpool manager complains that his side were the beneficiaries of just 19 minutes of added time. --- “You can analyse the 90 mins in different ways and moments. The first half we played very well because to avoid the high pressing is not easy. Play with personality doing it, is not easy. We did it. We were holding out line really well and staying focused. “We decided first half to go and win the match. The second half they pushed more, we lost our ball possession. We didn’t get good transition to create clear cut chances. “We had two from McGinn, but they were more in our box and we needed our defence low. To get three points would have been fantastic, but this draw, I knew could happen in one moment. With 10 mins of stoppage time was difficult to keep the side quiet with their fans behind them. But our commitment was fantastic. “I’m very proud. We had a challenge I challenged the players three months ago when we escaped from the bottom, but not clearly. I was telling them my objective was to progressively get top-10 position and then try to be competitive and try to arrive in the last match against Brighton, maybe playing for something. “With 7 places available for Europe, we were thinking, if we were competitive away and at home like we were, to challenge it. The players really did it. We are now so motivated now. “Life is present and the next is the future. Of course, we are really competitive. Today, I’ve played at Anfield before and know how difficult it is. They’ve been in the best moment in the season, playing for the top four. I’m very proud of our work because we prepared the match really focusing on being consistent like we have been. Playing with a personality like we did in the first half. Then, being committed in the second half like we did. Really, the challenge I had with the players for the match today is amazing. They did it. “Other teams as well want to add to try to get those positions. We are in this idea as well. We have to be optimistic, do our work in our way. This year was not our objective to get a European position. We are going to add this opportunity next week. We escaped from the bottom and this was fantastic. The top 10 position was fantastic and we’re adding to it now. We will prepare this week to try to work every day, enjoying and being motivated for next week. The club is continuing to work and trying to be ambitious for the next years. We have to be very demanding. Then we have to create and build a strong structure in all areas. “It’s very important for our supporters who are also going to be motivated like us. They’re going to enjoy this week trying to get one European places. It will be fantastic but, of course, playing with my experiences, my proper experiences, we will try to use them next Sunday. But, you know, Brighton are playing amazing football, amazing, they’re being very competitive. I’m going to enjoy today and enjoy the next week preparing the next match and share with the club, players and supporters at Villa Park on Sunday. “It’s difficult because normally he’ll [Álex Moreno] be injured (for next week). Yesterday, Diego Carlos as well had a small injury. We don’t know if we can get him available for next week. Álex Moreno as well but I think he’ll be more difficult to be ready. It’s a small injury but I don’t think he’ll be available for Sunday.” Unai Emery.
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🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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MATCH REPORTS

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*BBC Sport*
Saturday, 20 May 2023

**Roberto Firmino scored an 89th-minute equaliser against Aston Villa to keep alive Liverpool’s faint hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League.** Jurgen Klopp’s side are three points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United with one game remaining, meaning their two rivals need just one point from their final two games to secure Champions League qualification for next season. The fact it remains mathematically possible, if perhaps unlikely, is down to the departing Firmino sneaking in at the near post to convert Mohamed Salah’s low cross. It was tough to take for the visitors, who were so close to claiming a notable win after an impressive display. They had a golden opportunity to lead midway through the first half when Ibrahima Konate tripped Ollie Watkins in the box, but the striker sent his penalty wide. Unai Emery’s men continued to push forward and grabbed a deserved first-half opener through Jacob Ramsey’s sweet guided volley at the back post from Douglas Luiz’s cross. Liverpool - with Klopp watching from the stands as he begins his touchline ban - improved thereafter and thought they had equalised when Cody Gakpo converted following a scramble, but the effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up. Villa maintain their European aspirations by moving up to seventh after the draw, but missed out on going sixth as a result of the late equaliser. This was a costly two points dropped by Liverpool, who really needed to win after Manchester United edged to a victory against Bournemouth that may be the key to sealing a top-four place. The Reds came into the contest on the back of a resurgence in form, winning their last seven league games to spark hopes of playing in Europe’s elite club competition next season. But they trailed for a large part of the game against Villa and needed the intervention of substitute Firmino, who set the place rocking with his leveller in front of the Kop. The Brazil forward will leave the club at the end of the season and has provided plenty of memorable moments in a red shirt - but he and his team-mates could not find a winner despite 10 minutes of added time. James Milner was also given a generous send-off in his final game at Anfield at full-time but Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who are also leaving, missed out through injury. The goal was Liverpool’s 99th in all competitions this season but their problems have been at the back as they again failed to keep a clean sheet and conceded a 43rd goal in the 2022-23 Premier League - the most in a full campaign under Klopp. Luis Diaz headed wide in the best chance of a poor first half, while Salah and the in-form Trent Alexander-Arnold both fired straight at Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez before Firmino’s late intervention. Emery’s impressive impact Villa executed their gameplan to perfection and were on the verge of a famous victory before Firmino pounced. The visitors defended stubbornly while also posing a threat on the counter-attack and despite the disappointment of the equaliser, they have guaranteed themselves a top-10 finish for the first time in 12 years. Emery has done a superb job as manager since replacing Steven Gerrard, long ago moving past the mandate of keeping the side in the league to becoming European contenders. They took the lead through Ramsey’s delightfully placed finish and could have gone 2-0 ahead had Alisson not stood tall to deny the midfielder a second. The Brazil goalkeeper also gathered a low shot from John McGinn. Villa may have been lucky not to go down to 10 men in the first half though, when defender Tyrone Mings caught Gakpo in the chest with a high challenge and the video assistant referee decided the yellow card awarded by the referee was sufficient punishment. Villa have now won just one of their last 11 games against the Reds - the famous 7-2 victory at Villa Park under Dean Smith - but this game showed the enormous progress the side has made under Emery.
Reports

🟨 20 May 2023 Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Anfield

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