Aston Villa vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight after Leon Bailey earns draw
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City: Leon Bailey responded after Erling Haaland’s opener to deny the champions
Another goal from Erling Haaland wasn’t enough for Manchester City this time as Leon Bailey’s second-half equalizer salvaged a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa against the defending champion in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Haaland took his tally to 10 goals from six games by volleying in a cross from Kevin de Bruyne in the 50th minute but then missed two chances to score a second before Villa struck back.
Bailey met a low cross from Jacob Ramsey and hammered a first-time shot high into the net in the 74th to rescue a valuable point for Villa, whose manager Steven Gerrard was under heavy pressure after three straight league losses.
For City, it’s a second draw to go with four wins in the opening six games, leaving it tied for second place with Tottenham on points. Leader Arsenal has a chance to go four points clear on Sunday if it can maintain its perfect record when it travels to Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola’s City has made a habit of going two goals down before rallying, but this time it was their turn to relinquish the lead.
Haaland had been quiet in the first half but showed his predatory instincts when he came flying in at the far post to meet a pinpoint cross from De Bruyne, jumping high to side-foot the ball in.
The towering Norway striker forced two good saves from Emiliano Martinez as City pushed for a second goal.
That left the visitors open to counterattacks, though, and Ramsey had already squandered one such opportunity with a heavy touch by the time he set up Bailey for the equalizer.
Midfielder Rodri came closest to a winner for City when his shot from outside the area crept narrowly wide in the 87th.
Good signs for Everton?
Everton could draw four successive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four ended in November 2012, a sequence which included a 2-2 home draw with Liverpool.
The Toffees are averaging five shots on target per game in the Premier League this season, their highest since 2016-17 and up from their average of 3.6 last season
Everton vs Liverpool
Everton’s current run of 11 Premier League home matches without a win versus Liverpool is their longest in the top flight at Goodison Park against a single opponent.
The Merseyside derby has seen an unrivalled 22 red cards in the Premier League era.
‘I gave him a slap’: Jurgen Klopp sure Darwin Nunez has learned his lesson after red card
Jurgen Klopp said Darwin Nunez has learned the lesson from his red card against Crystal Palace and joked that he slapped him on the neck to ensure he does not forget it and lose his cool again.
The Uruguayan striker is available after a three-match ban for headbutting Joachim Andersen and could make his comeback in the potentially intense atmosphere of a Merseyside derby on Saturday.
“He is really happy that he isn’t suspended,” Klopp said. “Always I give him a high five but I gave him a slap on his neck as well, just that he doesn’t forget.”
Jurgen Klopp sure Darwin Nunez has learned his lesson after red card
Liverpool manager says it is ‘like Christmas’ having all his forward options available for the weekend’s Merseyside derby after Nunez’s return from suspension
Klopp on Darwin’s ban
Liverpool forward, Darwin Nunez, was sent off against Crystal Palace after headbutting defender Joachim Andersen. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp says he can’t guarantee that Nunez won’t be sent off again but he will strive to do his talking on the pitch.
"He is a wonderful young man but he has emotions as well," Klopp said. "He made a mistake but we didn’t speak for the full 15 days about it, telling him ‘you have to calm down’.
"How we want to think in these situations is that we pay back with football, if Darwin plays then he has to be ready for these things. When a player is talking to you a lot or is really physical, then he is not in his own game, and he [Nunez] has to use these kind of moments as well.
"If the other one is too busy wanting to distract him, you just have to use it from a football point of view.
"For the Crystal Palace game, when the defender is searching for this constant contact, then go from there and you decide when you start the movement.
"Will it never happen again? I don’t know, but I am pretty sure nothing will happen in the next game.”
Everton vs Liverpool
This will be the 241st meeting in all competitions – Liverpool have 97 wins, Everton 67. It is the most-played derby in the top division.
In all competitions, the Reds have won more games against Everton at Goodison Park than they have lost (41 versus 40), while a win will give them the lead in league games at the ground.
Everton vs Liverpool team changes
Frank Lampard makes just one change to the Everton starting XI that line-up against Leeds last time out. Neal Maupay comes in to replace Dwight McNeil in the forward line.
Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, makes three changes to his Liverpool team. Kosts Tsimikas comes into the defence to replace Andy Robertson at left-back with Fabio Carvalho slotting into midfield in the place of Jordan Henderson with Darwin Nunez returning from a suspension at the expense of Roberto Firmino.
Everton vs Liverpool line-ups
Everton XI: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko, Davies, Onana, Iwobi, Gray, Maupay, Gordon
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Fabinho, Elliott, Carvalho, Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Everton vs Liverpool
Liverpool can win back-to-back fixtures at Goodison Park for the first time since a run of three victories between 2007 and 2009.
Everton have won four of the last five Premier League Merseyside derbies when they scored the opening goal but those five games cover a 17-year period from 2004 to 2021.
Anthony Gordon to Chelsea ‘never got close to happening’, Everton boss Frank Lampard reveals
Everton boss Frank Lampard insists Anthony Gordon never came close to leaving Goodison Park.
Gordon was the subject of strong interest from Chelsea in the transfer window, with Everton rejecting a reported £45million bid from the Londoners for the 21-year-old forward.
Lampard had made it clear that he wanted Gordon to stay on Merseyside, and he got his wish when the transfer window closed on Thursday night.
“It never got close to happening,” Lampard said on the interest around Gordon as he spoke ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
Anthony Gordon to Chelsea ‘never got close to happening’
Big-spending Chelsea were keen on doing a deal for the 21-year-old
Everton vs Liverpool
Everton have won just one of their last 23 Premier League games against Liverpool with that being a 2-0 victory at Anfield in February 2021.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 11 league games away to Everton with three wins and eight draws. The last time they lost at Goodison Park in the top-flight was a 2-0 defeat in October 2010.
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