BIRMINGHAM, England – Aston Villa squandered a chance to go top of the English Premier League on Friday, drawing 1-1 with Sheffield United in a game marked by late goals and more VAR disputes.
Despite Villa’s dominance, Cameron Archer put Sheffield ahead with three minutes remaining, only for Nicolo Zaniolo to equalize in the seventh minute of extra time.
A win would have lifted Villa above Liverpool and Arsenal, putting it in first place at this stage of the season for the first time since 1998.
Instead, the point dropped them to second place in the table, level on points with leader Arsenal and one point ahead of Liverpool. On Saturday, Liverpool will host Arsenal at Anfield.
Villa was dominant throughout in front of a boisterous home crowd, and it would bemoan any decisions that went against it.
Two penalty claims were turned down early in the first half, and a Leon Bailey goal was overturned after 59 minutes due to a foul on Sheffield goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
With 17 minutes remaining, referee Anthony Taylor considered another possible penalty for handball but again ruled against the home team.
It came from the other end when the deadlock was broken. Cameron Archer, a former Villa striker, popped up with a clinical finish after good work from Gustavo Hamer on the left.
But just as Villa was about to give up, it got the goal its play deserved. Douglas Luiz lofted a cross into the box, and Zaniolo beat Foderingham to nod home.
The point was crucial for Sheffield, lifting them off the bottom of the table and one point ahead of Burnley.
The draw ended Unai Emery’s side’s remarkable run of 15 consecutive home victories.
