Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool summary: score, goals, highlights, Premier League

Liverpool move level on points with City

City are still favourites to lift the title, although Liverpool will push them all the way.

Tonight was a huge test and they've won against a good Villa side. 

Up next for Liverpool is the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday.

Aston Villa gave Klopp's side a proper game but it was Sadio Mané who scored the all-important second half goal to keep Liverpool in the title race. 

Liverpool record crucial win

Liverpool are now on 86 points, the same number of points as Manchester City. City have a better goal difference (+4) and have a game in hand.

FT: Liverpool beat Villa 2-1!

And we're still going!

Liverpool have a throw-in after the ball went out of play.

Martinez is over the free kick near the halfway line!

Mané heads towards the corner flag, tries to win a corner off Konsa and misses him!

Buendia heads over from the corner. Liverpool have a goal kick.

Villa have a corner!

We'll have four additional minutes! Liverpool lead 2-1

Keita is down after a challenge with Digne. 

The ball is worked wide to Cash. He goes for goal and shoots well wide from a very tight angle. The Villa players can't believe he chose that option.

Buendia catches Mané. Liverpool have a free-kick as the clock ticks down.

Liverpool hold the line so well and Ings walks away frustrated. 1-2

INGS SCORES!

But he's offside...

We're into the last five minutes. Can Liverpool hold on and stay in the title race?

Ings shoots across goal but Alisson manages to push it away. Big chance for Villa!

Liverpool's corner is headed away. Keita smashes it first time from 30 yards but it flashes just wide.

Tsimikas crosses; Cash blocks. 

Liverpool have a corner.

Change for Villa

OFF Watkins

ON Traoré

Liverpool haven't let Villa out of their own half. Thiago's pass hits Mané and falls to Martinez. 

Matip heads the corner straight at Martinez. 

Mané chests it down in the box. Cash clears Mané's chipped cross that looked to be heading just wide. 1-2

Liverpool press. Mings has nowhere to go and kicks it out for a throw. 

Klopp is making the changes now. Liverpool play Chelsea in the FA Cup final this weekend.

Liverpool make another change

OFF Luis Diaz

ON Mo Salah

Diaz set the goal up for Mané and has been a great addition to the club.

Villa sub

OFF Coutinho

ON Buendia

Mané's header has Liverpool ahead

Mané scores a glancing header after some nice play from Luis Diaz on the left wing. 

The ball goes over the top. Ings makes the run but is offside. 

Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

Liverpool have come from behind and now lead 2-1. 

Luis Diaz sends in a left wing cross. Mané makes space for himself in the box and heads home expertly. 

Thiago is on for Liverpool. Most games go through the Spaniard. He has 30 minutes to conjure up some midfield magic. 

Liverpool change

OFF Jones

ON Thiago

Villa change

OFF Marvelous Nakamba

ON Carney Chukwuemeka

It should only be a matter of time before we see some Liverpool changes.

Liverpool haven't created any real chances of note in the second half. Villa look organised and Villa Park is rocking. 

Alexander-Arnold has the ball in his hands. Liverpool have a free about 30 yards from goal. Trent goes through the laces inside of the curler and it goes well wide with the outside of his foot. 1-1

It's going to be a huge final half an hour here for Liverpool. Guardiola will be pacing up and down his living as we speak.

Mo Salah is warming up. It might be time for him, Jurgen.

Watkins was clean through there and it could easily have been 2-1 to the home side. If Liverpool draw tonight, Man City will only need five points to win the league. 

Tsimikas does superbly well to nick the ball off Watkins as he's about to pull the trigger.

The ball is played through for Diaz but Martinez flies off his line to collect it. 1-1

It looked like that was going in but it remains 1-1 as it gets dark around Villa Park.

Alexander-Arnold bends it just too high!

Konsa catches Jones. Liverpool have a free-kick in a good area.

The second half begins!

No changes at the break. It's as you were.

Big second half ahead

This could be a season-defining half for Liverpool. 

HT: Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool

It's all square at the break!

Alexander-Arnold sends in the corner from the right. The referee has blown his whistle for some pushing in the box. 

The corner is taken again. Mané fouls a Villa player and it's half-time.

Liverpool have a corner!

Jones picks it up on the left-hand side, just outside the box. His eventual shot goes just over. It's his second effort in three minutes. 

There will be three additional minutes played after the end of the first half. 

It's been a good day for Manchester City so far. They've signed Erling Haaland and Liverpool are currently dropping two more points. 

Jones shoots from 25 yards. Martínez is able to save it easily, down to his left. Some quick feet from Diaz near the corner flag began that move. He has been a terrific addition to Klopp's squad since joining from Porto. 

There's no free given and Liverpool have a throw-in.

Luis Diaz is rolling around after an aerial challenge from Digne. 

Keita can't take the chance

Keita can't get the ball out of his feet in the box...

Trent Alexander-Arnold sends a low cross in from the right. It's right on Keita's foot but he mishits it. That is a glorious chance as he's all alone in the middle of the box. 

Coutinho!

We've seen him do it before, curl one into the far top corner. 

This one goes over from about 20 yards out. 1-1

Luis Diaz makes a darting run but he's offside. 

That's not what Klopp will have hoped for. Fabinho has been a crucial part of his side this season and it looks like it could be a hamstring issue.

OFF Fabinho

ON Henderson

Jordan Henderson is warming up and it looks like he'll replace Fabinho.

Gerrard is so up for this. There is no chance he wants his former team to win this game. 

Fabinho is down. It looks like his hamstring. Klopp and Gerrard have both been very vocal on the touchline.

Villa have upped the ante in the last few minutes. 1-1

Digne takes the corner short. It goes back to McGinn. McGinn sends in a brilliant cross from the left and Ings' header flies just over. 

Mané heads wide

Liverpool get more joy from the left. Villa have a midfield diamond, giving the Liverpool full-backs lots of space out wide.

Fabinho catches Digne from behind. Villa have a free to the delight of the home fans.

MANÉ!

He heads just wide from a super Tsimikas left wing cross.

The ball falls to Jota but he can't beat Konsa with the left-footed attempt.

Konsa is furious after referee Moss gives Liverpool a free near the Holte End for very little. Gerrard is also furious. 

The Villa striker is now back on his feet as we take a breath from the pulsating start. 1-1

Watkins is down for Villa, holding his arm and he has stayed down. 

Philippe Coutinho is set to join Villa on a permanent deal from Barcelona. He's been quiet so far against his former club. 

Digne snatches the chance and it goes miles over after excellent play by Cash on the right hand side. 

It's a packed house tonight at Villa Park and it's been a hugely entertaining start.

Mo Salah, Thiago, Henderson and Robertson have all been left out of the starting XI for Liverpool tonight. It's a massive couple of weeks for the club and rotation is necessary.

Matip equalises

We've had two goals in six minutes.

This time it's Matip!

Villa don't clear the ball in the box and Matip is there to stab home from close range.

Villa 1-0 Liverpool

Douglas Luiz gives Villa an early lead. Liverpool go down 1-0 again. 

Alisson saves Luiz's initial header and he taps in the rebound. Villa are ahead!

Liverpool are playing from right to left. It's another huge match in their quadruple-chasing season. 

There's a cracking atmosphere in Villa Park and it's a nice evening in Birmingham.

Jonathan Moss is the referee tonight.

We're underway!

Liverpool kick us off...

We're just moments away from kick-off at Villa Park.

Here come the teams!

Van Dijk and Mings lead the teams out!

Kick-off is just 10 minutes away!

Villa pushing for top 10

Villa are currently 11th in the table and will have been boosted by their 3-1 win over Burnley on Saturday.

Philippe Coutinho starts tonight against his former club. 

Liverpool chasing Manchester City

A win for Liverpool tonight would take to 86 points, level with Manchester City at the top of the table. City have a better goal difference (+68) to Liverpool's +64.

After tonight's game, they will have played 36. City have played 35, as things stand. 

Liverpool XI

Aston Villa starting XI

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: match facts

Liverpool are undefeated in their last 16 matches (Premier League).

Aston Villa have seen over 2.5 goals in their last 6 home matches against Liverpool in all competitions.

Liverpool have won their last 3 matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.

There have been under 2.5 goals scored in Liverpool's last 3 games (Premier League).

Match facts via WhoScored

Klopp and Gerrard meet pre-match

Jurgen Klopp and Steven Gerrard have a chat ahead of kick-off at Villa Park.

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Philippe Coutinho close to making permanent switch from Barcelona to Aston Villa

Aston Villa are close to signing Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal from FC Barcelona.

The Premier League club have a non-mandatory option to buy the former Liverpool player for €40 million.

Barça are about to sell Coutinho to Villa for a fee between €15 and €20 million. The sale will remove one of the club’s highest wage bills.

Full story on Coutinho

Liverpool XI

Well, you never know what you're going to get with Klopp, but he has lined them up as follows...

Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas - Fabinho, Keita, Jones - Jota, Mané, Diaz.

Aston Villa starting XI

Steven Gerrard has named his team to face Liverpool at Villa Park.

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Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard ranks Jürgen Klopp’s current Liverpool team

Jurgen Klopp is overseeing “the best Liverpool team there has been”, according to club legend Steven Gerrard.

Despite the Reds winning the European Cup and Champions League six times in their history, Gerrard believes the current crop is the best they have ever had.

More from Gerrard

Villa vs Liverpool

The Merseysiders will be hoping for more of the same tonight. 

Soccer

Aston Villa - Liverpool: how to watch, TV, online, streaming - Premier League

Steven Gerrard will go up against his former club Liverpool at Villa Park.

Manchester City’s 5-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday sent them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table and with only three games remaining it is City’s league to lose.

Can Liverpool put the pressure back on?

Read more

Team news

I'll have the team news from Villa Park for you as soon as it's in.

Steven Gerrard's side won against Burnley at the weekend.

Jurgen Klopp will have some big calls to make for this one, as Liverpool look to get back on track after their 1-1 draw with Spurs. 

Villa Park

Villa Park is the venue for tonight's game and what a venue it is.

Kick-off in Birmingham gets underway in just over 90 minutes.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool: welcome!

Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of this Premier League fixture between Aston Villa vs Liverpool at Villa Park.