The records will show that Liverpool now have one win in their last four games - when the FA Cup defeat to Plymouth is considered.

But their two Premier League draws, against Everton at Goodison and Aston Villa at Villa Park, could be classed as a “good point” in a normal title race.

On Sunday, Liverpool go to Manchester City and then host Newcastle on Wednesday. If they pick up four points from those games, then they will still be in a very good position.

Liverpool’s tails were up when Alexander-Arnold equalised but both he and Jota were replaced shortly afterwards, but Slot says it was pre-planned given they have recently returned from injury lay-offs.

“For months, Jota almost hasn't been available. He could only play 60 today, same as Trent and that is why we had to make those substitutions. I would love to keep them in the team but we have to play Sunday and Wednesday again and you saw with Conor Bradley how much of a risk it is. But Jota and Trent played good games."

Arne Slot said Liverpool “deserved” to win on the balance of play.

"The pressure is always on you if you are Liverpool,” he tells TNT Sports. “It matters where we are in the league table but the pressure is always on if you are Liverpool. We have all the ingredients to achieve success this season. There have been a lot of games this season where I have felt if one team deserved to win it was us.”

Unai Emery does not quite agree.

“You have to wait your moment to attack and get chances like we had,” he tells TNT. “We did. We were more or less competing well and we came back in the first half. When you are winning like that, it's Liverpool and they can score like they did. We came close to scoring in the final minute. We had more options to win in the final 20 minutes.”

Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports, says Liverpool were close to playing a “very, very good game” but were let down by their missed chances against Aston Villa.

"Not so happy, to be honest. We created far more chances than them and created chances to win. But we also conceded from a set piece.

"If you are 1-0 down it is far from easy. Their second chance was a goal, was a cross, but they may have won it in the final moments but when you put all the chances together, I am not happy with the 2-2.

"They lost a very good striker but brought in two new ones in the winter break. It is a difficult one because of the team they have the support they have from the fans.

“If you look at the chances we had to win the game, you can understand that there is one person in the dressing room that feels quite down. I think you know who it is."

I think that’s Nunez...

Ten points clear with 12 games to go would have almost certainly put Liverpool, without a completely convincing title rival, on course for a second Premier League title before February is even out.

But Darwin’s gonna Darwin - Nunez has had a telling contribution in several Liverpool victories this term, but that penchant for the most calamitous misses never ceases to amaze.

The Uruguayan missed 27 big chances last term, but few as glaring as the one that could, and should, have earned Liverpool victory that had the potential to end the title race as a contest.

Liverpool have still not lost away from home in the Premier League this season - or anywhere since September in the top-flight.

Arne Slot is unhappy at conceding from a set-piece tonight and says Liverpool deserved to win tonight given the chances his side had.

Virgil van Dijk, speaking to TNT Sports, says Liverpool are “disappointed” with a draw at Villa Park after having chances to win the game.

"We should have scored 3-2, but credit to Aston Villa, they made it very difficult,” the Liverpool captain says. “We have a very tough one on the weekend again [at the Etihad], then we play Newcastle.

“Our focus now will be on Man City, a very difficult game, we know that. Do everything in your power to win games, the focus will be that on Sunday again."

So Aston Villa have still not beaten Liverpool since that 7-2 win in October 2020, but they’ll take a point against the Premier League leaders. The frustration for Unai Emery’s side is they can turn up against the big boys but struggle against the sides they should be beating - such as Ipswich on Saturday.

They stay ninth with a point - but just four points off fifth-placed Bournemouth. It’s tight in there.

“We take a point and move on,” says Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. I’ll take his word for it.

Liverpool head to Manchester City on Sunday - a place they’ve not won in the Premier League since 2015.

Before then, Arsenal could have cut their lead to five points as they host West Ham on Saturday.

A good point for Liverpool? Two points dropped? Or somewhere in between? As the dust settles, what we know is the Reds are now eight clear of Arsenal. They led, trailed, and then found an equaliser against a Villa side who were up for the fight.

Both teams could have won it late on, with Nunez missing a golden chance and Malen shooting just wide.