Aston insipid

Last updated : 06 December 2010 By Stateside Villa

This game was never going to be the same as last season's 3-1 win at Anfield. Villa, mostly due to injury had only 2 playe that were in that match, while Liverpool had 6 changes.

Early signs of trouble came when Warnock gave a needless free kick away. Young failed to react and Warnock lashed the ball straight up. The ball fell to Kuyt, who should have done better with his shot.

Albrighton, back 15 days after an appendix operation, couldn't quite get to a Downing cross and that was it for Villa in the first half.

Dunne almost presented the home side a chance when he failed to control a Collins pass. Villa's defence looked very shaky.

The Dunne-Warnock partnership gave Liverpool  a gift in the 13th minute. Warnock, trying to be clever in the corner, lost control of the ball. Dunne failed to help out and Warnock bustled the ball out for a corner.

Skrtel rose above Clarke to head goalwards from the corner and Ngog threw himself at the ball to head home.

Two and a half minutes later, Dunne and Warnock struck again for Liverpool. They gave Babel too much space, and he ran through, suspiciously offside, anfd fired past Friedel.

Villa seemed to be having the same problems as they had in their 2 Wembley appearances last season. Their choice of footwear was causing them to look like they were playing on black ice. Liverpool had no such problems and won every race to the ball. Villa made it easy for them, they simply didn't have to be that good.

Villa's build up was slow and laboured, with a lack of ingenuity. On numerous occasions they turned attacks back into their own half.

Villa were more lively in the second half, going 4-4-2, with Delfouneso replacing Clarke, who had been targeted by Liverpool at every set piece.

Agbonlahor sidefooted a cross from Downing that Reiner saved. But, most crosses were straight at the Spaniard.

Downing put another cross in, Reiner grabbed it and tried to set Pool on the counter attack. Liverpool slowed things down drawing groans from the crowd as Villa grabbed the ball back. Again, a nice move from Villa, looked promising, but again, Downing sent a cross straight down Reiner's throat. This time, the man in goal found a red shirt inexplicably alone in the centre circle and this time the counter was on.

Johnathon Hogg failed to track back with Maxi Rodriguez and the man in the snood was under no pressure as he lazily lifted the ball past Friedel for 3-0.

Hogg made amends with a header off the line and Friedel made two stops, but as in the Arsenal game they were directly at him. I have not seen him make a save that that was out of the ordinary in a while now. Sometimes, you need your keeper to be extraordinary. This isn't the Friedel I saw stand on his head at Ewood Park against Man Utd a couple of years ago.

If there were any bright spots for Villa, they were these. Another fine game from Albrighton. Even at 80 percent he's one of our better players. Ireland looked improved and interested. Delfouneso was lively when on.