‘Not happy’ – how title race looks as Slot rues Liverpool draw

Frustrated Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes the Premier League leaders dropped two points with their 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, but how does the result impact the title race?

Trent Alexander-Arnold rescued the Reds with a 61st-minute leveller on Wednesday for a result that moves them eight points clear of second-placed Arsenal.

But for the first time during the run-in, Slot’s side have played a game more than their north London counterparts, who may sense an opportunity to narrow the deficit, especially with Liverpool going to Manchester City on Sunday and the Gunners hosting West Ham the day before.

Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch the points in the second half, blazing over an empty goal from a few yards, although Villa could also have won it when Donyell Malen shot wide in the final seconds.

“The only reason why we could be happy with the 2-2 was they got the last chance of the game, maybe their third after scoring two,” said Slot. “That could be the only reason where we could say a point is good to take.

“For everything else, I’m not happy with 2-2. I wasn’t happy at all being 2-1 down at half-time, it didn’t reflect the first half at all.”

With 12 games remaining for Liverpool in the title race, how likely are they to be caught? And who has the toughest run-in?

Liverpool may have only managed a draw on Wednesday, but Slot’s side have now gone 22 consecutive Premier League games without defeat, winning 15 of those.

It is the first time they have been able to put together such a streak since their 44-match unbeaten run between January 2019 and February 2020, when they went on to win a first Premier League title.

Despite the draw, data analysts Opta still predict Liverpool to finish top on 87 points, six clear of Arsenal, using their projection algorithm.

Their chance of winning the title has dropped slightly, however, from 87.65% to 84.79%, while Arsenal’s has risen from 12.35% to 15.13%.

No other team is given a more than 1% chance by Opta of being champions.

It has proved a testing run for the league leaders, who conceded a last-gasp equaliser against Everton in an emotional Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park last Wednesday, scraped a hard-fought 2-1 win over Wolves at Anfield on Sunday and then had to come from behind for the point at Villa.

Yet Slot denied his team are suffering a dip in form.

They go to Manchester City knowing Arsenal will close the gap to five points if they beat West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday.

“I don’t feel like that at all,” added Slot. “If you go away at Villa it is always a difficult fixture. Performance-wise, not a dip at all today in my opinion.

“What we must not do, and a bit too often now, we don’t get what we deserve. If you put all the chances in a row from us and them it’s clear which team should have won this game.

“We must not make a habit out of that as it’s happened a bit too much now but we are eight points clear with Arsenal having a game in hand.”

What are Liverpool’s remaining fixtures?

Liverpool’s recent form: WWDWD

It is a hectic few weeks for Liverpool, with the Reds having league games pretty much every three days until the end of the month.

But things ease considerably in March, when they play just one league game – a home fixture against bottom club Southampton.

Liverpool have the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on 16 March, while Arsenal play Chelsea at home in the Premier League on the same date – at which point both clubs will have nine games left.

On either 4 or 5 March, Liverpool will also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, when they will travel to either Paris St-Germain or Benfica. The return leg at Anfield will take place a week later.

Liverpool host Arsenal on 10 May, but finish the season with a home game against Crystal Palace – by which point they would hope to have settled the title outcome.

Liverpool’s final 12 Premier League games:

• 23 February: Man City (A)

• 26 February: Newcastle (H)

• 8 March: Southampton (H)

• 2 April: Everton (H)

• 5 April: Fulham (A)

• 12 April: West Ham (H)

• 19 April: Leicester (A)

• 26 April: Tottenham (H)

• 3 May: Chelsea (A)

• 10 May: Arsenal (H)

• 18 May: Brighton (A)

• 25 May: Crystal Palace (H)

What are Arsenal’s remaining fixtures?

Arsenal’s recent form: WDWWW

Arsenal are currently unbeaten in 15 league matches (W10 D5) – their longest run without defeat under Mikel Arteta.

They have now played one fewer Premier League games than Liverpool, but face Chelsea on 16 March to catch up, while the Reds are in the Carabao Cup final.

Gunners fans will be hoping their side are still in the title race when they go to Anfield on 10 May because getting a result in that game would set them up for a home fixture against Newcastle and then an away trip to Southampton on the final day, by which point the Saints could be relegated.

Arsenal’s final 13 Premier League games:

• 22 February: West Ham (H)

• 26 February: Nottingham Forest (A)

• 9 March: Man Utd (A)

• 16 March: Chelsea (H)

• 1 April: Fulham (H)

• 5 April: Everton (A)

• 12 April: Brentford (H)

• 19 April: Ipswich (A)

• 26 April: Crystal Palace (H)

• 3 May: Bournemouth (H)

• 10 May: Liverpool (A)

• 18 May: Newcastle (H)

• 25 May: Southampton (A)

Who has the easier run-in?

Liverpool are on the road again on Sunday when they travel to reigning champions Manchester City, before Newcastle come to Anfield next Wednesday.

“Every team has to play every team twice and this week is Villa away and City away,” Slot told BBC Sport after the draw at Villa Park.

“These players are used to this and are used to playing for trophies.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, face six sides in the top half of the table in their final 13 games.