Liverpool’s 100% record in the Premiership came to an end at Villa Park, but the 100% record of playing poorly continued.
In a match where Gerrard was absent and Torres injured his hamstring in the first half, Liverpool’s multi-millionaires failed to register a single shot on target.
It was poor poor stuff.
Liverpool lacked any kind of creativity and, in the end, can consider themselves fortunate to leave with a point after wasting an opportunity to go top of the Premiership.
With so much going on between the clubs over the summer, Martin O’Neill and Rafa exchanged a polite hand-shake before the match. Liverpool selected three central midfielders, Lucas, Mascherano and Alonso, adopting what appeared to be a more 4-5-1 formation than the 4-4-2 played since the start of the season.
A drab encounter opened up, and when Mascherano played a through ball to Torres, the Spaniard appeared to pull up clutching at his leg. The dreaded hamstring injury and Liverpool’s talismanic forward was substituted off.
David N’Gog arrived on to the field and was unlucky when he fired over after a nice set up from Keane. Liverpool posed little attacking threat, and Alonso even resorted to his trademark attempted lob from his own half.
Liverpool started the second half more brightly, Keane taking more of a central role, and Andreas Dossena is improving game by game. However Liverpool went off the boil and it was Villa who finished the stronger.
A proper bore draw. Liverpool are playing poorly, and without Gerrard and Torres, something must improve after the international break. Next up – Man United.
Post Match Reaction
Rafa Benitez:
“In the first-half both teams had more or less same opportunities and in the second half I thought we started well.
“In the last 15 minutes they were pushing quite a lot. It was a game that we could have won and so could they.
“It is not that we should have finished quicker. I think you have to give credit to the defenders.”
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena, Kuyt (Aurelio 70), Alonso, Mascherano, Leiva Lucas, Keane (Benayoun 79), Torres (Ngog 30).
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Agger, Babel, El Zhar.
Booked: Skrtel, Dossena.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young (Milner 64), Laursen, Davies, Shorey (Gardner 79), Reo-Coker, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Knight, Salifou, Routledge.
Att: 41,647.
Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
The word we are looking for is HELP we didn’t have a clue.
How to brake aston villa benitez said this is an attacking without gerrard and torres we have no attack we need wingers and fast.
The result for Liverpool is not a bad one at all. We were missing key players, and playing against a very good Aston Villa side who are going to be one of the toughest sides for anyone to beat at home. I think you will find that when the other big four clubs visit Villa, they will also struggle. Let’s look at the positives, Ngog got his first Premier League apearance, Mascherano got some quality game time under his belt and Liverpool head into the international break still on top of the table with the same points as Chelsea.
When will this hamstring problem be sorted?
We have got so many players who can perform better than what they did yesterday, why do we have to rely so much on stevie g and fernando torres. Mascherano played terrible yesterday, the only plus was that we did not concede a goal, thanks to our defence and keeper, if we want to win the premiership then every single player has to put in a 100% performance and not just rely on our super 2.
Yes we were poor and look to have no future prospects of winning anything.
Uus as fans deserve better from Rafa and above all the owners.
No trophies No stadium no prospects!!!
Still we might win the Prem. Euro cup. Fa cup. league cup.
2 derby games and who knows we might t**t the mancs.
Cummon You Mighty Reds
Well, what can i say. “They were clueless”. Not one shot on target says it all.There was no creativity and very little urgency shown from anyone, though Reina and his defence did well admitedly. We MUST sign at least one more quality wide player before today ends or we can forget about the title before the Season has barely started. Let us just hope that Torres is not going to be out for too long or where will the goals from, as i cannot see them coming from Keane. El Tel Alicante