The Darwin Nunez miss that Liverpool may regret in Premier League title race

Aston Villa 2-2 Liverpool: The Uruguayan came off the bench and was presented with a golden chance to send the Reds 10 points clear. Ten points clear with 12 games to go would have almost certainly put Liverpool, without a completely convincing title rival, on course for a second Premier League title before February is even out.

But Darwin’s gonna Darwin - Nunez has had a telling contribution in several Liverpool victories this term, but that penchant for the most calamitous misses never ceases to amaze. The Uruguayan missed 27 big chances last term, but few as glaring as the one that could, and should, have earned Liverpool victory that had the potential to end the title race as a contest. A draw against a thrilling Aston Villa is nothing to be ashamed of. Had Mohamed Salah been on the end of Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass late on in front of the Holte End, however, you could call the open-top bus company and start concentrating on what other trophies will accompany the Premier League crown in May.

After a sluggish outing in a narrow win over Wolves last time out, it was clear from the outset Liverpool were in the Midlands with a point to prove. With Villa left chasing shadows, Virgil van Dijk had skied an effort from a good position and Diogo Jota’s free header flashed wide before six minutes was even on the clock.

Other than the Saudi riches on offer, part of the reason Jhon Duran left Villa in January is due to a lack of game time, with Unai Emery stoic in his insistence on going with one central striker and one central striker only. When Marcus Rashford was brought in and given the number nine shirt, that hope for more first-team football after ending his Old Trafford appeared to be forlorn.

But having achieved what Duran could rarely do under Emery – a starting berth alongside Ollie Watkins against Liverpool – the loanee’s role in the team may be more facilitator than central hitman. In happier times at the start of this season, Rashford was Manchester United’s best creative threat, setting up more big chances in the first three months of the campaign than any team-mate. It is a role he can excel in, and after weathering the initial red storm, Rashford ran the visitors ragged for 15 minutes or so, forcing an own goal out of Van Dijk – with Villa Park’s joy nullified by the offside flag.

Any home momentum was brought to a grinding halt in the 29th minute by a monumental error from new Villa defender Andres Garcia, who passed the ball straight to Jota, the Portuguese allowed all the time in the world to pick out Salah for an emphatic finish.

These “only Mo Salah” stats are mounting up. He is now the first player to net 15 away goals in a league season for Liverpool since 1930-31. The previous seven meetings between Villa and Liverpool had averaged 4.7 goals per game, and it was clear, given how expansive both teams were playing, Salah’s opener was never going to be a solitary strike.

Rashford was at the heart of Villa’s leveller, with Liverpool unable to clear his fizzing free-kick in the 38th minute and Youri Tielemans was on hand to smash home. Watkins has not earned the trust from his manager without reason, however. After his fine finish at the weekend, the Arsenal target did his boyhood club a huge favour just before half time, powering a well-positioned header into the net to score his sixth goal against Liverpool.

It was no more than the hosts deserved for their endeavour. It could have been three early in the second half after Alisson’s race from his goal had been ill-judged, but Rashford’s goalbound chip was cleared by Ibrahima Konate. Villa needed that third, with Liverpool retaining their attacking threat, even if their backline was more disjointed. And moments after Jota had clipped the crossbar, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected strike restored parity 61 minutes in.

Another goal, another Salah stat: The Egyptian is the first player to get 15 or more goals and assists in a Premier League season since Eden Hazard in 2018-19. If only Nunez was half as clinical 20 in the final stages. The substitute had an open goal to aim at, from six yards, but contrived to reach the Holte top tier.