Aston Villa 0 - 2 LiverpoolFabio Borini 24
Rickie Lambert 79
The proposed protest by supporters in the Holte End never materialised; the stand was full at kick-off and nothing of note happened in the eighth minute – or at any other stage of the game – though a few boos were audible as Aston Villa trooped off a goal down at half-time.
They should have been two goals behind by that stage really, Raheem Sterling inexplicably squandering a great chance after the Villa defence evaporated to leave him one on one with Brad Guzman, but one goal is usually enough against opponents who have failed to find the net in their past four league games.
Fabio Borini, starting up front because Mario Balotelli was unavailable because of illness, tucked away Jordan Henderson’s cross at the far post to give Liverpool a lead after 24 minutes, and, from that point onward, the visitors never looked like being in trouble.
That is why Villa supporters are so exasperated. Liverpool had a goal disallowed for offside before the interval, an over-anxious Borini shot high over the bar shortly after scoring, and Guzan was grateful to save Sterling’s tame effort, while the home side just passed the ball around midfield, without giving Simon Mignolet anything to do until the 40th minute.
When Villa did produce their first shot on target, it was straight at the goalkeeper from Carlos Sanchez, though Mignolet did have to work a little harder just before half-time when Tom Cleverley broke clear. The keeper left his line quickly and Lazar Markovic recovered well enough to put Cleverley off in the act of shooting, in what amounted to Villa’s only real opening of the first 45 minutes.
Paul Lambert keeps pleading for patience, but his players need to be a little more proactive. They did not respond,in any discernible way, to going a goal behind, and did not appear to have any sort of plan to get back into the game, other than sending Alan Hutton down the right to cross for Christian Benteke, a thankless task when up against a wing- back of Alberto Moreno’s pace.
Liverpool kept up their attacking threat in the second half, Henderson forcing a fine save from Guzan after the keeper had tipped a header from Martin Skrtel on to a post – though at least Benteke generated some noise from the Holte End with a shot on the turn that Mignolet did well to keep out.
That – along with Lambert sending on Andreas Weimann and Carles Gil, the latter a new acquisition from Valencia – seemed to wake up a somnolent stadium a little, though Liverpool were still doing more of the attacking, and Borini’s finish was wasteful when Moreno found him with a cross from the right.
Nathan Baker headed narrowly over from a corner, and Mignolet saved again from Benteke, as Villa enjoyed a brief period of attacking fluency midway through the second half, but when the ball fell invitingly for Baker in front of goal, the defender scuffed his shot.
Liverpool were not to be denied, however, and quickly weathered that mini storm. Guzman tipped a shot from Lucas Leiva around a post to concede a corner, and, though Fabian Delph had a good chance to clear, he gave the ball away to Sterling, instead, who deftly supplied Rickie Lambert for a cool finish from the edge of the area.
The Holte End fell silent again before the end, with just the travelling fans in the Doug Ellis stand making themselves heard, gleefully highlighting the fact that Liverpool had accomplished this victory without the injured Steven Gerrard.
While Villa have a chance to reacquaint themselves with the art of goalscoring in the FA Cup against Bournemouth next week, their barren run now stretches to five Premier League matches, and their next two opponents are Arsenal and Chelsea.
Paul Lambert received the loyalty he demanded from the Villa supporters on this occasion, though there were more boos at the end. Everyone connected with the club knows it is time to give something back.
Guardian