Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa
Liverpool suffered a festive setback at Anfield as unfancied Aston Villa came to our ground and gave us a good turning over.
Christian Benteke showed Liverpool all about putting the ball in the net - scoring twice as Villa raced into a 3-0 lead by the 51st minute.
The reds saw Luis Suarez return to Premier League action after his one game ban, but it was to little avail. Jose Enrique, one of the reds brightest stars this season, missed out through injury - giving Stewart Downing, surprisingly, another opportunity to show us his ability at left back.
Before kick off a minutes applause rang out on behalf of Phil Taylor, the former Liverpool manager, who died recently at the ripe old age of 95.
Villa started the brightest, but Liverpool were stung in to a response. However, as has been the case for what now seems like an eternity, Liverpool were firing blanks in front of goal. It was Benteke who struck first in the 29th minute, with plenty of space he sent in a shot from 20 yards that went in off the post.
Before half time Weimann doubled Villa's lead as again, both he and Benteke terrorised the reds defence.
Rodgers again turned to Joe Cole at half time - bringing him on for Jonjo Shelvey.
But it was Cole who then gave the ball away to Benteke to put Villa 3 goals ahead and secure their three points.
Steven Gerrard, on another poor afternoon from the Liverpool striker, managed to get a late consolation goal but it was too little and too late to give the reds supporters any comfort.
Hugely disappointing and dispiriting.