Liverpool Tightens Premier League Grip, Villa Holds Arsenal
Liverpool tightened its grip at the top of the Premier League table as two stoppage-time goals secured a 2-0 victory at Brentford, while Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 home draw against Aston Villa.
Brentford were repelling wave after wave of Liverpool attacks before Nunez tapped in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross from close range in the 91st minute.
The striker then added an emphatic finish two minutes later as Liverpool’s 36th and 37th shots finally found the net.
Table toppers Liverpool looked set for a third successive draw until substitute Darwin Nunez’s stoppage-time double sent them to 50 points from 21 games, with second-placed Arsenal on 44 having played one more match.
“Of course, I had doubts because, before we scored the two goals, it felt as if I was looking at the same game again and again and again,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.
“So many times in recent weeks, against Tottenham (Hotspur in the League Cup) as well, we missed a lot of chances.”
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
Liverpool’s late show was not the news Arsenal wanted ahead of the early evening kickoff, but Mikel Arteta’s side looked set to pull back to four points behind when Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz scored either side of halftime.
Midfielder Youri Tielemans gave Villa a lifeline with a diving header and Ollie Watkins met a Matty Cash cross with a volley to level eight minutes later.
Arsenal had a late goal ruled out as Havertz deflected in a Mikel Merino volley, but VAR deemed it had hit the German’s arm as the match finished 2-2.
“Defending the way that we did, especially one of the goals, it cannot be part of our game,” Arteta told reporters.
Aston Villa, whose 2-0 win at Arsenal last season proved so costly in the London team’s failed attempt to beat Manchester City to the title, again proved a thorn in their side.
Saturday’s Premier League results
Reuters/Premier League/Chidi Nwoke.
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