Arne Slot Still Regrets Liverpool's Only Series Against Aston Villa

JAKARTA - Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, should have recorded an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings with 12 games remaining in his first season as coach.

However, the plan was disassembled. The Dutch coach was unable to hide his frustration after a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on Thursday, February 20, 2025, early morning WIB.

Victory should have put his team 10 points ahead of Arsenal after playing one game more. However, the Reds have dropped points for the second time in three games so the Gunners' chances are close to open.

"Honestly, I'm not very happy. I think if you look back at the game, we created more chances than them (Aston Villa)."

"I think we did everything we had to do to get results here, maybe even win," Arne Slot told TNT Sports.

It was an emotional night mixed up for Liverpool who dominated from the start and took the lead in the 28th minute thanks to Mohamed Salah's goal, the attacking's 24th goal in the league.

Goals from Youri Tielemans andtensil Watkins put Aston Villa ahead in the first half, before Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner that turned midway through the second half equalized.

Liverpool substitute Darwin Nunez failed to take advantage of the golden opportunity to take the lead again towards the end of the match.

The Reds were almost left behind at the end of the match if Aston Villa's substitute Donyell Malen's shot missed the post.

Arne Slot's side conducted 17 attempts compared to Aston Villa's nine, but they had to regret the lack of effectiveness in front of goal.

"At the last minute (Aston Villa) should have won. If you look at all our chances in a row, it's clear that I'm not happy with the score 2-2."

"It's hard to come here because of the team they have, because of the support from the fans."

"However, I think we almost played a very, very, very good game," said Arne Slot, whose team has only lost one league game throughout the season.

Arsenal, who are in second place now have one game yet to play. They will have the opportunity to increase pressure on Liverpool this weekend.

Mikel Arteta's troops will host West Ham United on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Victory will reduce the difference to five points with Liverpool.

"There's always pressure if you play for Liverpool, just like if you play for Arsenal."

"We want to get something together this season. We have everything needed for it. There are still 12 more games and the Champions League, but we are happy with our current position."

"I think we've played too many games where we deserve more than we got."

"I didn't mean Everton's game when I saw the quality of the game, but of course, conceding at the last minute was a huge disappointment," said Arne Slot.

Meanwhile, one of Arne Slot's concerns is the injury of Conor Bradley who came off the bench to replace Alexander-Arnold.

"It happened while running fast. You never know what it is. If a player leaves, it's not a good sign," said the coach again.

Liverpool will next face a tough match with a trip to Manchester City headquarters on Sunday, February 23, 2025.

The 27th week of the match is very important to keep their distance from Arsenal. If they slip again, the Gunners can get the difference closer to two points if they win against Nottingham Forest in the same week.