Liverpool stand firm and Benitez can smile at last

Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 2

The Reds ended an unwanted sequence with the 2-0 triumph at Aston Villa - their first away win for two years in a match immediately after playing in Europe.

Liverpool had chances to win more comfortably before Steven Gerrard's controversial penalty and Xabi Alonso's late strike turned up the pressure on Villa manager David O'Leary.