Firmino scores late equaliser as Liverpool draw with Aston Villa

After Ollie Watkins had knocked a penalty wide midway through the first half, Jacob Ramsey’s far-post finish put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute.

Cody Gakpo had an effort disallowed for offside early in the second half and an equaliser seemed to have eluded the Reds until substitute Firmino clipped in Mohamed Salah’s cross for his final goal at the stadium for the club with 89 on the clock.

Team news

Jürgen Klopp, who was in the stands as he served a touchline ban, named an unchanged line-up following Monday night’s win at Leicester City.

Firmino returned to the bench after a muscle injury, with James Milner also among the substitutes, and both would come on to make their last Anfield appearance with the club.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas, 72), Fabinho (Elliott, 81), Henderson (Milner, 72), Jones (Jota, 63), Diaz (Firmino, 72), Salah, Gakpo.

Unused subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Carvalho, Matip.

First half

Liverpool strode out at a sun-drenched Anfield for their final home appearance this season, marking a farewell to L4 for Firmino, Naby Keita, Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of their departures this summer.

There was a stop-start nature to the early exchanges, with a delay due to a clash of heads between Virgil van Dijk and Watkins, a series of free-kicks and neither side able to get into their flow.

And when the goalmouth action did arrive, it was from the away team.

Midway through the half, Villa sprung a counter-attack that freed Watkins to run in behind along the left flank and as the forward moved in towards goal on the angle Ibrahima Konate’s challenge brought him down.

The referee pointed to the spot and Watkins stepped up to the kick himself – but side-footed the ball wide of the right post in front of the Kop.

Unai Emery’s side did take the lead soon after, however. With Liverpool unable to fully clear their lines, Douglas Luiz lifted in a cross from the right channel that was met by Ramsey at the far post with an angled, low finish past Alisson Becker.

The Reds next needed Alisson to prevent a second for Villa, the goalkeeper rushing from his line to thwart Ramsey when he collected Luiz’s low free-kick into the area.

Luis Diaz sent a looping header wide of the opposition’s right post from Jordan Henderson’s cross, before Tyrone Mings’ high challenge on Gakpo remained a yellow card following a VAR review.

Second half

Salah sent a curler into the gloves of Emiliano Martinez before Alisson got down to claim an edge-of-the-box effort by John McGinn in the second half’s early stages.

Liverpool then had the ball in the Villa net on 55 minutes after a goalmouth scramble in which Konate’s close-range shot was blocked and Gakpo followed up to convert. But a review via VAR saw the goal disallowed for an offside earlier in the passage of play.

Diogo Jota was the first introduction from the bench just past the hour mark and further changes came soon after, including Firmino and Milner for the final Anfield appearances of their remarkable Reds careers.

Pressing for an equaliser, Gakpo spotted an opening to set a pass back to the arriving Trent Alexander-Arnold 20 yards out, but his low strike was straight at Martinez.

Time appeared to be ticking away from Liverpool, yet Firmino was not to be denied his moment – Salah’s outside-of-the-boot cross was cushioned in with trademark aplomb by the Brazilian.

The hosts pushed for a Kop-end winner throughout the 10 minutes of added time, yet Villa held firm and the full-time whistle confirmed a point apiece in the last Anfield match of 2022-23.

Attendance: 53,306