Villa Post Match

[Shaggy]

Yeah when it came to keeping the ball and moving it around we were a lot better, only our final pass let us down time and again. And another clean sheet too. We're heading in the right direction I reckon.

[little dave hedgehog]

I agree with dww. Villa craved out better chances than us and we were under the kosh at times, and I couldn't believe we stayed in it at several points in the game.

Overall we probably played better, but they did look dangerous.

[johnly]

Reina - World class my son. How he's not Spain's number 1 I don't know, he's better than Iker

Torres, words cannot describe how a to the mazing you are lad. Don't EVER leave this club.

3 pts, happy days, press on now and get back in the top 4

[Joe King]

I agree with dww. Villa craved out better chances than us and we were under the kosh at times, and I couldn't believe we stayed in it at several points in the game.

Overall we probably played better, but they did look dangerous.

Where's Hedgehog and what did you do with him? There's a shift key that has been used too many times there.

[Mattshark]

By the way Villa are wank, long ball over the top to Gabby or long ball to the chest of Carew and they are defensively organised, that's it. Reminds me of us under Houllier.............

I was thinking that all game.

[dww]

The BBC report seems pretty fair to me:

Aston Villa 0 - 1 Liverpool

Liverpool celebrate Fernando Torres' winner against Aston villa
Torres gave Liverpool only their fourth win in 10 league games

By David Ornstein [BBC]

Fernando Torres scored a 93rd-minute winner as Liverpool claimed a dramatic late victory over Aston Villa.

The Reds' season of frustration looked set to continue as Villa produced a spirited display in snowy conditions.

Steven Gerrard went close, Pepe Reina denied Stewart Downing and Gabriel Agbonlahor, and John Carew headed wide.

A draw beckoned but Torres raced on to a ricochet and slotted in to stun Villa Park and become the fastest player to reach 50 league goals for Liverpool.

The Spaniard's strike provided a pulsating end to a fairly disappointing encounter and Liverpool's joy was clear for all to see after snatching a morale-boosting three points.

It was only their sixth win in 19 matches in all competitions and takes them above Birmingham into seventh, four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

Villa, on the other hand, are entitled to feel totally deflated and they drop down to sixth by virtue of goals conceded.

606: DEBATE
Great win but let's not get carried away. We dug in well against a difficult opposition and we had a lucky break at the end

Glass_Onion

The sense of importance surrounding the match was heightened by the knowledge that a win for either side would boost their top-four aspirations while damaging their opponent's.

And there was little to choose between them during a cautious opening period that saw both teams zip the ball around with confidence and work hard for an early breakthrough.

Alberto Aquilani was handed his second start in four days at the heart of Liverpool's 4-4-1-1 formation and the Italian midfielder linked well with Gerrard and Torres.

Gerrard came close to opening the scoring when he collected a Torres pass and curled a dipping first-time strike towards goal, only for a back-tracking Brad Friedel to tip it over the bar.

For all their effort, Villa's desire to prise open the Liverpool defence was undermined by a lack of creativity in midfield.

With Ashley Young suspended, the recently impressive James Milner was deployed on the left of a 4-4-2 system and the Englishman struggled to assert his authority on proceedings.

The hosts had to wait 24 minutes for their first shot on target - Milner drove tamely at Pepe Reina - but they were gifted an opening on the half-hour.

Milner hoisted a corner to the back post where a completely unmarked Stewart Downing saw a smashed volley expertly saved from point-blank range by the arm of Reina.

At the other end, Liverpool felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a mis-timed tackle by Richard Dunne on Dirk Kuyt, but referee Lee Probert waved away their appeals.

Amid bitterly cold conditions and heavy snowfall, the players deserved credit for the general quality of the first half - but the same could not be said about much of the second.

Despite Liverpool having lost four of their previous six away league games, Villa strikers Agbonlahor and Carew posed little threat to the visitors' back four.

That said, the hosts' midfield became sloppy as the match wore on, starving their front men of service and allowing Liverpool to push forward at every opportunity.

But the Anfield club could not translate their dominance into goalscoring chances and Torres looked particularly off-form.

The game was in desperate need of a goal and the breakthrough might have arrived when Agbonlahor capitalised on Jamie Carragher's slip to race clear, but his low effort was turned behind by Reina.

Moments later, Carew glanced a header just wide of the far post from Milner's corner and Villa had a penalty shout rejected when Emiliano Insua appeared to head the ball on to his arm.

When the fourth official indicated four minutes of injury time it was Villa who seemed most likely to go on and snatch a last-gasp winner.

But the hosts carelessly relinquished possession and after a ricochet put Torres clean though on goal, the 25-year-old made no mistake with a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

[Paul12]

By my calculations we had just 3 fully fit first teamers playing in their proper positions (Reina, Carragher and Kuyt). Bearing that in mind, an excellent result and a decent performance. But we need to get that 3 up to 7 or 8 ASAP if we want consistently good performances.

[Guest]

I understand what you say about the chances, but they did absolutely nothing in midfield and their chances were either from long balls over the top or deadballs. If O'Neall wants to win that way then he will fall well short of the top 4 by season's end.

He should be called O'Nil as from now on.

[Vermilion]

Yeah when it came to keeping the ball and moving it around we were a lot better, only our final pass let us down time and again. And another clean sheet too. We're heading in the right direction I reckon.

Yep, first Villa fan they had on 5live, straight after they played O'Neils "we should have been out of sight" speech, said, funnily enough...."i have to disagree with Martin there, i think a draw would have been a fair result, liverpool passed the ball better than us".

[dww]

By the way Villa are wank, long ball over the top to Gabby or long ball to the chest of Carew and they are defensively organised, that's it. Reminds me of us under Houllier.............

The difference being that they have width which gives them multiple ways of breaking teams down and they have no clinical striker like Owen. I agree that they need to replace Barry's influence in midfield if they are to get 4th.

[Vermilion]

First time Villa been beaten at home this season ?

edit. Yes, it's the only game Villa have lost at home so far this season, i really think it's Spurs that pose us the most threat to 4th though, i see Villa fading towards the end....hopefully.

[dww]

First time Villa been beaten at home this season ?

edit. Yes, it's the only game Villa have lost at home so far this season, i really think it's Spurs that pose us the most threat to 4th though, i see Villa fading.

Didn't they lose to Wigan?

[Shaggy]

Yep lost 0-2 on the opening day at home to Wigan.

[Vermilion]

Didn't they lose to Wigan?

oops.

[Vermilion]

Look!! Nice to see Babel taking an interest...