Arne Slot chose not to criticize Darwin Nunez despite the striker’s costly miss in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. However, the Reds boss acknowledged that Nunez was more frustrated than any of his teammates after squandering a golden opportunity in the second half.
Liverpool had taken the lead through Mohamed Salah, but Aston Villa responded with an equalizer from Youri Tielemans before Ollie Watkins put the hosts ahead just before halftime with a well-placed header. In the second half, Trent Alexander-Arnold restored parity with a precise strike, setting up a tense finish. The biggest talking point of the game came when Nunez, brought on as a substitute, found himself with an open goal after an excellent buildup involving Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai. With only the net to find, he sent his effort over the bar, a moment that left both fans and teammates stunned.
Slot admitted that the mood in the dressing room was low, particularly for one player, making it clear that Nunez felt the weight of his miss more than anyone. When pressed further on the incident, Slot praised the exceptional pass from Bradley and the driving run from Szoboszlai, who set up what should have been an easy finish. He acknowledged that while Nunez’s weaker left foot played a factor, the chance was still too big to miss. The manager expressed belief that given another opportunity, the striker would have made amends. Shortly after the missed chance, Nunez had another promising moment, but Emiliano Martinez denied him with a well-timed sliding challenge.
Although Liverpool managed to secure a point, Slot made it clear that he wasn’t satisfied with the result. The only reason to accept a draw, he explained, was that Aston Villa nearly snatched a late winner with one of their few clear-cut chances. Beyond that, he felt his team deserved more from the game and was particularly frustrated to be trailing at halftime. The set-piece goal that allowed Villa to take the lead changed the course of the match, something he found difficult to accept given how well Liverpool had played in open play.
Despite the disappointment, Liverpool must now shift their focus to the upcoming fixtures. Every point matters as the season reaches its decisive phase, and Slot will be keen to ensure that missed chances like Nunez’s do not become a recurring theme.
