Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3 – 0 at Anfield last night to move up to 8th spot on the English Premier League‘s table and ruin Gerard Houllier’s return to the Kop.
Early goals from David Ngog and Ryan Babel turned the game into a procession, with Maxi Rodriguez adding a third soon after half-time.
“We shot ourselves in the foot early (in the season),” Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said, “but the limp’s getting better. Our shape was good tonight.”
The defeat means Villa have gone four games without a win and lie two places and two points above the relegation zone.
Liverpool were without Fernando Torres, who withdrew to be with his wife after she went into labour, which gave Babel his first Premier League start of the season.
His fledgling striker partnership with Ngog soon took flight, with both scoring within the opening 16 minutes.
Villa’s young side seemed to have weathered an early storm in which Dirk Kuyt volleyed just wide, but after 14 minutes Martin Skrtelk beat Ciaran Clark in the air and headed a right-wing corner back across goal, where Ngog dived to head it past Brad Friedel.
“I have to take my responsibility when the coach gives me a chance,” Ngog said. “The team are more confident and passing the ball better.”
Two minutes later, Babel, looking fractionally offside, ran onto Lucas’s chipped pass, judged the bounce well and angled a controlled finish across Friedel and into the bottom corner.
It should have been three goals before half-time, with Sotirios Kyrgiakos getting the better of Clark but heading over with the goal seemingly at his mercy.
Clark was withdrawn at half-time for Nathan Delfouneso as Villa switched from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2, and they were more competitive in the second half.
Pepe Reina made a brave save at the feet of Gabriel Agbonlahor after 53 minutes, and two minutes later Liverpool had their third. A quick break was worked to Ngog on the left, and when he slipped a clever ball inside, Maxi sidefooted an excellent finish.
For Reina this was a 100th clean sheet for Liverpool – making him the quickest Liverpool keeper to achieve the mark.
“I have to give thanks to the boys,” Reina said. “It’s totally up to them. I have a great defence in front of me.”
Hodgson added his tribute: “He’s a very good goalkeeper and a good character. Goalkeepers need a certain presence, and Pepe certainly has that.”
From then on it was merely a question of whether Liverpool could add to their lead; they didn’t, but this was as simple as Premier League wins come.
Source: supersport.co.za
