Slot’s Disappointment: How the Title Race Looks After Liverpool’s Draw

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Media caption: ‘I’m not happy with the result!’ – Slot rues missed chances against Villa

Published on February 19, 2025, with 47 comments and last updated one hour ago. Frustrated Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes that his team dropped two points in their 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, but how does this result impact the title race?

Trent Alexander-Arnold saved Liverpool from defeat by scoring an equalizer in the 61st minute on Wednesday. This outcome moved them eight points clear of second-place Arsenal. However, for the first time during their run-in, Liverpool has played one more game than their north London rivals. This situation might give Arsenal an opportunity to narrow the gap further as Liverpool travels to Manchester City next Sunday and the Gunners host West Ham the day before.

Unfortunately, Darwin Nunez missed a golden chance to secure all three points when he blasted over an empty goal from just yards away in the second half. Aston Villa also had chances but failed to capitalize, with Donyell Malen shooting wide in the final seconds of play.

“The only reason we could be content with 2-2 is because they got their last chance and might have had three goals,” Slot explained. “In every other aspect, I’m not happy at all about this result, especially considering we were trailing by a goal at halftime despite dominating the first half.”

With only twelve games remaining in the title race, how likely is it for Liverpool to be overtaken? Who has the tougher run-in?

Liverpool managed just a draw on Wednesday, but they have now achieved an unbeaten streak of 22 consecutive Premier League matches, with fifteen wins during this period. This feat marks their first such run since January 2019 until February 2020, when Liverpool secured their maiden Premier League title.

Although the result was a draw against Aston Villa, Opta still predicts Liverpool to finish at the top of the table with 87 points, six clear of Arsenal. Nevertheless, Slot’s team faces tough challenges in their upcoming fixtures as they visit Manchester City and host Newcastle on consecutive weekends.

Meanwhile, Arsenal has the advantage of only facing teams in the top half of the table during their final thirteen games. These matchups include matches against West Ham (at home), Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Chelsea, Fulham, Everton, Brentford, Ipswich Town (away), Crystal Palace (home), Bournemouth (at home) and Southampton.

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