Liverpool beat Villa, level on points with City in EPL

A come-from-behind 2-1 win at Aston Villa, sealed by a 65th-minute header by Sadio Mane, showed Liverpool’s heart for the fight and moved Klopp’s team level on points with Man City

BIRMINGHAM: Liverpool has ensured the Premier League's thrilling title race will stretch into the final week of the season.

A come-from-behind 2-1 win at Aston Villa, sealed by a 65th-minute header by Sadio Mane, showed Liverpool's heart for the fight and moved Jürgen Klopp's team level on points with Manchester City on Tuesday.

“It's about digging in, keeping going and finding a way to win,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said.

City still leads thanks to its superior goal difference of 3 to Liverpool. The defending champions play their game in hand against Wolverhampton on Wednesday, after which the two title rivals will have only two more league games to play.

The earliest City could now clinch the league is on Tuesday, when Liverpool plays its next league game — at Southampton. Before that, City plays twice, against Wolves then West Ham on Sunday.

“We cannot do more than win,” Klopp said. “A lot of people thought this could be a banana skin, that it could be a struggle for us, and how the boys sorted that was absolutely outstanding.”

The Reds, who drew 1-1 with Tottenham on Saturday, avoided having their title bid further derailed by a Villa team managed by one of their greatest players.

Steven Gerrard, a boyhood Liverpool fan and former star midfielder, insisted his focus was purely on winning the game for Villa and saw midfielder Douglas Luiz — who was once on Man City's books — give his team the lead in the third minute.