 Goals
Delaney og 35
Match
Report
Liverpool have found defiance and steel to haul themselves back
into the race for a Champions League spot.
They were fortunate to beat Aston Villa, who lost for the first
time in six games, mounted an outstanding assault that will at least
give boss David O'Leary something to be proud of.
All they lacked was a contribution from Juan Pablo Angel, who found
Liverpool defiance from Sami Hyypia, Igor Biscan and the excellent
Dietmar Hamann, too much to contend with.
Liverpool, in a week that started with a stormy annual general
meeting full of recriminations and criticism of Gerard Houllier,
have now produced three wins in seven days that have kept them in
the hunt in the FA Cup and Premiership.
The goal that clinched it, seemingly bouncing off Danny Murphy
and Mark Delaney - both unsuspecting participants as an Emile Heskey
effort soared into the box - summed up the day for Liverpool.
It was not pretty, but it counted. The plaudits go to on-loan keeper
Paul Jones, and his battery of defiant red shirts who stopped Villa
in their tracks when they got near the area.
But come May, when maybe Liverpool are in with a shout of qualifying
for Europe's major tournament, nobody will remember just how these
three points were clawed away from the Midlanders.
Michael Owen was back in the starting line-up after three months
of injury problems, and Jones made his debut, as Liverpool sought
to build on that excellent win in midweek against Chelsea.
For Villa, vastly improved of late, full-back Delaney and striker
Angel both passed fitness tests on knee and ankle injuries. It meant
O'Leary was able to name an unchanged side from the won that beat
Portsmouth in midweek.
Liverpool, still with shaky confidence, could maybe have done without
facing one of the Premiership's in-form teams, but they started
with clear intent, and Hamann's 25-yarder inside the first minute
that fizzed inches wide should have set a standard.
Harry Kewell then cut in from the right to fire well wide with
his left foot. But Villa are full of confidence at the moment, and
were bright, quick and competitive, with Angel rising to head over
after seven minutes from a Olof Mellberg cross from the right.
Somehow Liverpool failed to score on 12 minutes. El-Hadji Diouf's
cross was headed out of Thomas Sorensen's hands by Heskey, the ball
hit Owen, was turned back in by Kewell for Owen to flick onto the
bar from just a yard.
Villa were dangerous from set-plays, and when one Gareth Barry
free-kick was not cleared properly, Lee Hendrie belted it a yard
over the bar.
The midlanders did well in midfield with Barry, Hendrie and Gavin
McCann winning plenty of possession.
Villa's resourceful approach kept Liverpool pinned in their own
half, and Jones needed to make an excellent, instinctive 36th-minute
save on his near post after Darius Vassell had held off Biscan to
fire in a fierce shot.
Villa's midfield four, plus Angel and Vassell worked like trojans
to pressure Liverpool's defenders in their own half, and it caused
errors and hurried passing that kept the pressure on the hosts.
Their in-your-face approach finally cost McCann a booking for catching
Hamann late. McCann came off worst and was helped off.
Before McCann returned, Liverpool found themselves ahead on 36
minutes. Kewell and Heskey combined to get the ball into the box,
and it hit an unsuspecting Murphy on the backside Delaney also looked
to have got a touch in the melee - but the ball deflected into the
bottom corner with Sorensen and his defenders motionless.
Liverpool were soon on the attack after the break with Diouf evading
Jlloyd Samuel and getting to the line before firing in a cross that
Sorensen fumbled, but Owen could not get to quickly enough to turn
in.
But Liverpool were unable to kept a grip on possession long enough
to keep Villa from pressuring them in their own half.
Diouf, playing his final game before linking up with Senegal for
the African Nations Cup, had his best performance in months, switching
from wing to wing and producing control and pace that constantly
worried Villa.
And Diouf, who had earlier in the week seen his red card at Chelsea
withdrawn, was booked on 65 minutes for a trip, and will now find
himself facing a one-match ban.
Owen lasted until 73 minutes, having not surprisingly had a quiet
game, and was replaced by Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
Liverpool were by now entrenched in their own half, stringing nine
men across the field in defiance.
Kewell and Hamann were both booked, Kewell missed two golden chances
on the break to settle things, but somehow Liverpool hung on.
Press Association
Teams
Liverpool Jones, Henchoz, Hyypia, Biscan, Riise,
Diouf (Cheyrou 82), Murphy, Hamann, Kewell, Owen (Sinama Pongolle
73), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Luzi Bernardi, Le Tallec, Traore.
Booked: Diouf, Kewell, Hamann.
Aston Villa Sorensen, Delaney, Dublin, Mellberg,
Samuel, Hendrie (Johnsen 68), McCann (Hitzlsperger 40), Whittingham,
Barry, Vassell (Moore 45), Angel.
Subs Not Used: Postma, De la Cruz.
Booked: McCann, Hitzlsperger.
Att: 43,771
Ref: G Barber (Hertfordshire).
(Back to top)
Audio/Video
Reaction
 BBC Sports'
Stuart
Hall post-match verdict
All audio and video requires RealPlayer and is
from the BBC unless otherwise stated.
(Back to top)
Other
Media Reports
none
(Back to top)
|
