Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 1:A MATCH full of uncertainty in difficult conditions was aptly decided by a haphazard goal in the third minute of stoppage time. The Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne slipped and Yossi Benayoun then rolled through a pass that broke and set up Fernando Torres.
The Spaniard finished with customary composure for his 50th Premier League goal. Such expertise set him apart on an evening when few players felt in command.
On the slippery Villa Park surface, putting together a co-ordinated passage of play was hard enough and subtle moves looked virtually inconceivable at times. Allowances were being made, with the referee Lee Probert taking no action other than to award a foul when an early challenge on Villa’s James Milner by Lucas might have met with a booking on a sunny afternoon.
After half-an-hour, Milner struck a deep corner to the unmarked Stewart Downing and his volley smacked against the outstretched right arm of the Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
Liverpool, in an even contest, should have been presented with a simple opportunity to open the scoring, but Probert did not award a penalty when, eight minutes from half-time, a rash Dunne made contact with Dirk Kuyt instead of the ball.
Whatever the limitations imposed by the weather, the endeavour was unrestricted for two teams at a critical stage in the programme. Most issues are qualified in this enigmatic season, including success and failure. Aston Villa, for instance, have seemed to be on the rise while Liverpool floundered, yet only five points separated them before kick-off. With that context in mind, Rafael Benitez’s claims that the Anfield side will qualify for the Champions League does not have as much of a delusional tone as it might seem.
If the fate of Liverpool is uncertain then Villa’s campaign is also enigmatic. Martin O’Neill’s team depends on a resilient defence, yet three goals were conceded for the first time on Sunday when Arsenal took command belatedly. Against such a backdrop, the limitations of Villa’s attackers seemed a more troublesome matter than it had appeared until now.
When an opening did develop in open play it saw one midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, picked in the reshuffle caused by Ashley Young’s suspension, chip the ball onto the chest of another, Stilian Petrov, who then hooked his finish high. Benitez had been bold enough to restore Kuyt, an attacker, in place of Fabio Aurelio as his sole alteration to the starting line-up that had beaten Wolves at the weekend.
There were moments of surprise from Liverpool and Brad Friedel did well to react sharply and tip Steven Gerrard’s drive over the bar in the 17th minute.
Villa have impressed in this campaign by developing their solidity and they had been in contention at the Emirates until Cesc Fabregas transformed the occasion for Arsenal. All the same, it will be a challenge to keep on breaking open defences when the options in attack are thin by comparison with clubs such as Liverpool, who have been able to buy someone like Torres. In general, the visitors had more of a capacity to shape the play in defiance of the elements. Villa were again pinned down for a spell following the interval, but a breakthrough for Benitez’s men was elusive. Alberto Aquilani, for instance, was a little high with the attempt to dip a free-kick into the top corner.
Villa were being curbed then and some fans might have begun to remember how the side had been incapable of staying in the top four during the second half of the programme last season. O’Neill’s reaction to that had been a sensible one. It was improbable that a leading striker would sign for the club even if the fee could be afforded and the Villa manager had concentrated on upgrading the defence. That policy has been vindicated and last night the benefits were apparent for a while.
Guardian Service
ASTON VILLA: Friedel, Luke Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Reo-Coker (Albrighton 72), Milner, Petrov, Downing (Sidwell 79), Agbonlahor, Carew. Subs Not Used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye, Collins. Booked: Dunne.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson (Skrtel 89), Carragher, Agger, Insua, Kuyt, Lucas, Aquilani (Babel 77), Benayoun (Aurelio 90), Gerrard, Torres. Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Spearing. Booked: Lucas.
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
