The Premier League game between Liverpool and Aston Villa at Anfield on Monday Aug 24, 2009.
Another one for the national crime statistics. Liverpool will feel they were robbed here, yet they made too many mistakes while Martin O’Neill’s industrious Villa were disciplined at the back, particularly the outstanding Brad Friedel, and made good use of their infrequent attacks.
A Lucas own goal and Curtis Davies header seized an unlikely half-time lead for Villa. Although Fernando Torres gave Liverpool brief hope, a rash challenge by Steven Gerrard on Nigel Reo-Coker led to Ashley Young’s penalty, confirming Liverpool’s first league defeat at Anfield in 32 games.
Liverpool’s players had looked shell-shocked as they trooped towards the tunnel at the break, trailing 2-0, their fans incensed by decisions by Martin Atkinson that led to Villa’s two set-piece goals. In truth, Liverpool had only themselves to blame, failing to deal with Villa attacks, their zonal marking certainly partly culpable.
Shaped in 4-1-4-1 formation, with Stiliyan Petrov dictating shielding operations and launching breaks, Villa were set counter-attacking as well as containment. The responsibility on Petrov has risen this season, following the departure of Gareth Barry to Manchester City, and the Bulgarian has readily accepted the challenge. He was outstanding between the boxes as Villa seized the lead. How Liverpool could do with a deep-lying midfielder of his guile and energy.
As well disrupting the red supply-line to Gerrard and Torres, Petrov was quick to venture upfield, as he did in the 35th minute to help create Villa’s shock goal. Racing down the inside-left channel, Petrov had his heels clipped by Lucas, the Brazilian who has many detractors amongst supporters pining for Xabi Alonso.
Amongst the departed Spaniard’s many qualities was his ability to organise the barricades when opponents came calling. Lucas lacks that knowledge. Javier Mascherano lacks Alonso’s tactical disciple. But poor Lucas. He must have wondered how he had offended the sporting gods. Having given away the free-kick, he then retreated to the 18-yard line to help repel it. When Young drove in the free-kick, the ball seemed to be heading unthreateningly to Pepe Reina until diverting off Lucas and in. Own goal.
It got worse for Liverpool. Lightning struck twice, just into added time. When Steve Sidwell poked a harmless shot towards the Kop, it caught Martin Skrtel and deflected for a corner. Reina, convinced it was a goal-kick, was cautioned for kicking the ball. As Nicky Shorey curled his corner towards the near-post, Villa players made their moves in front of Reina, Davies nipping in to a flick home a close-range header. The marking was nowhere.
Benítez was furious, remonstrating with the fourth official that the additional minute had long expired. As well as remembering that Atkinson added extra time for Reina booting the ball away, Liverpool’s manager could have spent his time more fruitfully pondering whether his zonal marking system worked. No.
Disbelief reigned. The script had been ripped to pieces. As the game had opened, it seemed more likely that Liverpool would turn around two goals to the good not behind. Benítez’s men had started at full throttle, raiding forward, looking for weaknesses in a defence they put five past here last year.
They could have been two clear within 10 minutes. Yossi Benayoun, reading Torres’ chipped pass, almost beat a hesitant Friedel with a back-header. Then Gerrard went close, denied only by a superb save by Friedel, frustrating the fans who once cheered him.
Torres was experiencing a bruising night, feeling the force of challenges from Carlos Cuéllar and Habib Beye. O’Neill appears to have instilled greater steel in Villa. The pace was there, brimming in the flying figures of James Milner and Young, who tore into Liverpool’s full-backs, Emiliano Insua and Glen Johnson.
With Franco Baldini and Fabio Capello watching, Villa’s young Lions had plenty of reason to parade their talents. As Villa’s alacrity through the gears began to stretch Liverpool, mistakes scarred the hosts’ performance. As the goals flew in, Liverpool lost composure, wasting possession, Benayoun surrendering the ball in quick succession. Jamie Carragher and Mascherano exchanged words. Benitez had plenty of work to do at the break.
It was the spirit of Istanbul versus the men from the Bull Ring. And so the siege before the Kop began. Dirk Kuyt was everywhere, heading a Gerrard goalwards only for Friedel to save and then heading against the post. Villa’s defiance was admirable, Cuellar nicking the ball off Torres.
Midway through the second period, Villa were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Davies got his legs in a tangle sliding in on Torres and bringing the striker down. Penalty, screamed Liverpool. Play on replied Atkinson. Torres pulled his shirt over his
Andrei Voronin’s arrival for the hapless Lucas meant Gerrard dropped into the Alonso role, yet still finding time to test Friedel. With 18 minutes remaining, the pressure told. Insua’s determined run took him deep into the box and his cutback was swept home by Torres.
Just as the Kop began to believe, the man who had rescued them so many times, Gerrard, made a bad error, diving in on Reo-Coker and just catching the Villa midfielder. Penalty. No doubt. Nor with Young’s kick, placed expertly past Reina.
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