Roberto Firmino received praise from the media after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, but the performance was widely criticised. Jurgen Klopp’s side never got going in their must-win Premier League game on Saturday afternoon, with Ollie Watkins missing a penalty and Jacob Ramsey firing Villa into a first-half lead. Firmino came on in his final Anfield appearance and scored the equaliser late in the day, but Liverpool were unable to find a winner. This Is Anfield’s Mark Delgado felt certain individuals were to blame for the result, noting that Luis Diaz, Jordan Henderson, and Cody Gakpo offered very little in terms of buildup play or creation. David Lynch took to Twitter to point out that Liverpool lacked physicality and energy in midfield, while GOAL’s Neil Jones heavily criticised Henderson’s performance and touched upon the midfield issue in general. Delgado expressed delight at Firmino’s late contribution, while Dominic King hailed James Milner’s 130th substitute appearance for Liverpool on Twitter. Jones had to focus on Firmino, on what was an emotional afternoon, and The Guardian’s Andy Hunter and the Independent’s Richard Jolly both agreed that it is now a formality for Manchester United and Newcastle to qualify for the Champions League.
