Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0:STRIKER FERNANDO Torres was the notable absentee but Liverpool had no trouble overcoming Aston Villa at Anfield in the Premier League last night. The Spain international was given compassionate leave after his pregnant wife Olalla went into labour with their second child.
With captain Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher also missing with injury, it left Roy Hodgson’s side lacking in big names.
Ryan Babel, who impressed in Thursday’s Europa League draw against Steaua Bucharest, took the vacant striker’s role alongside David Ngog with Sotirios Kyrgiakos coming into central defence as the only two changes to the side which lost at Tottenham eight days ago.
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier’s first competitive return to his former club saw him make two changes to the team which lost to Birmingham in the League Cup last week.
Houllier won five trophies in his six-year spell at Anfield, four alone in 2001, to cement his place in the club’s history books and the Kop unfurled a club motif-emblazoned banner prior to kick-off which read Gerard’s Heart Beats.
Stephen Ireland and Marc Albrighton replaced the suspended Ashley Young and injured Barry Bannan.
But Ngog and Babel both scored as Liverpool made light work of Villa to take a 2-0 lead into half-time.
Ngog heading home in the 14th minute and Babel firing in two minutes later. Villa’s defending left a lot to be desired and Kyrgiakos could have made it 3-0 in the 27th minute but planted his far-post header from Meireles’ free-kick wide.
Meireles was at the heart of most of Liverpool’s best moves and a low cross into the feet of Babel saw the Holland international curl a first-time shot just wide of Friedel’s left-hand post.
Ciaran Clark was booked for a late challenge on Lucas as Villa struggled to gain any foothold in the game.
Houllier gave striker Gabriel Agbonlahor some support for the start of the second half by replacing Clark with Nathan Delfouneso.
A mistake by Glen Johnson put Stewart Downing free down the left and he crossed for Agbonlahor to deflect a shot into goalkeeper Jose Reina and although the ball broke free Paul Konchesky cleared the danger.
It was apparently Villa’s last chance to get back in the game as moments later their hosts made it 3-0 with a counter-attack of brilliant simplicity.
Reina collected and instantly rolled the ball 30 yards down the middle of the pitch to Maxi Rodriguez.
The Argentina international offloaded to Ngog out to the left and then perfectly timed his run to sidefoot home the return pass after his team-mate had carried the attack 40 yards further forward.
Rodriguez is looking increasingly at home out on the left and, having scored just one goal in his first five months after joining last January, he now has three in his last seven matches.
Only former Liverpool goalkeeper Friedel prevented a fourth, parrying away Johnson’s shot after he had weaved his way into the area.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos (Kelly 83), Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt (Cole 80), Meireles, Lucas, Maxi (Aurelio 76), Babel, Ngog. Subs Not Used: Jones, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey.
ASTON VILLA: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton (Pires 65), Clark (Delfouneso 46), Hogg, Downing, Ireland, Agbonlahor (Carew 66). Subs Not Used: Guzan, Cuellar, Lichaj, Herd. Booked: Clark.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
