THE NOTEBOOK: Aston Villa fan Tom Hanks enjoys their late comeback against Liverpool… while Darwin Nunez seems to be cast away after he was again on the bench for the Reds

Aston Villa picked up a huge point in their pursuit of Champions League qualification, in Jurgen Klopp‘s final away game in charge of Liverpool.

The Reds looked on course for all three points at Villa Park after an own-goal from Emiliano Martinez was followed by goals for Cody Gakpo and Jarrell Quansah. 

However, a late Jhon Duran double salvaged a point in a Hollywood ending for Villa – in front of celebrity fan Tom Hanks. 

The result puts Villa five points ahead of Tottenham, who play their game-in-hand against Manchester City tomorrow.  

Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele was in attendance to recap on some of the talking points from the match.  

Jhon Duran scored a late brace to salvage a point for Aston Villa against Liverpool on Monday

ELEVEN REASONS FOR REDS TO THANK KLOPP 

Just like that, Jurgen Klopp has one game left as Liverpool boss. His last away trip might have had little riding on it from a Reds perspective but the visitors’ star-studded line-up showed just how much the German has transformed the team.

The XI he fielded in his first away game, at Tottenham in October 2015, was: Simon Mignolet; Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Alberto Moreno; Lucas Leiva, Emre Can; James Milner, Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho; Divock Origi.

Contrasting careers for some of those, but it is clear Klopp has improved every area at Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has improved every area of Liverpool when comparing his first and last away games managing the club

ALL EYES ON DUGOUTS

All eyes were on the dugouts during the match, especially after contentious refereeing calls. 

Klopp knew a yellow card from referee Simon Hooper would earn him a touchline ban for his final game. He laughed with Sky before the match: ‘They gave me Simon Hooper… that’s obviously the biggest challenge they could find!’

Klopp avoided a yellow card which could have meant he was suspended for his final game as Liverpool manager

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY 

Aston Villa are not short of celebrity fans — with heir to the throne Prince William here at the last home game. On Monday night was Hollywood royalty, as Tom Hanks watched the action. Thought he might have been a Forrest fan. 

Tom Hanks was in attendance for a Hollywood ending at Villa Park on Monday nigtht

NUNEZ CAST AWAY AT LIVERPOOL 

Speaking  of Hanks, one player who seems to be cast away at the moment is Darwin Nunez, who again was on the Liverpool substitutes’ bench. It followed a bizarre week in which he stormed off the Anfield pitch after the win over Tottenham and deleted all Liverpool-related photographs from his Instagram.

The Uruguay striker might have been well-placed to take out his notepad and keep a close eye on Ollie Watkins. 

Darwin Nunez was again on the Liverpool bench but came on during the second-half

The Villa forward, watched by Gareth Southgate, leads the line perfectly and is a danger from central areas or in the channels. Southgate was sitting next to Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who will soon become a top-flight manager after successive promotions. 

He was not the only Tractor Boys staffer present — a member of the press team was also here, presumably to get used to Premier League matchdays.