Villa add to woes at Anfield

AFTER a fortnight where off-field worries about finances have once again been put back on the agenda at Anfield, along came a night that summed up all the other frustrations of the Rafael Benitez era as Liverpool lost at home in the Premier League for the first time in 20 months.

After the age-old problems in breaking down stubborn visitors, the much-maligned Lucas got Villa on their way by heading Ashley Young’s free-kick past his own goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Then along came the zonal marking question once again as Curtis Davies, who had earlier been left on his own in the Liverpool area only to waste a header, to guide into the net in first-half added time.

Even the regulation inspired come-back was here, with Fernando Torres giving a desperate home crowd some hope with 18 minutes left only for Steven Gerrard to trip Nigel Reo-Coker in the area two minutes later to earn a penalty that Young thumped past Reina to consign Liverpool to a first home defeat in the Premier League since the 1-0 loss against Manchester United in December 2007.

A second defeat in just three Premier League matches, following on from the opening day loss at Tottenham, has already equalled last season’s number of league defeats and they will have to improve considerably to go as close to winning a first title since 1990, not that Benitez, who again dismissed the suggestion that he needs more players, was prepared to look at the bigger picture.

“Our target is to win against Bolton and that’s it,” he said. “We have to go to Bolton on Saturday and win. Everything could change if we do that, our confidence will improve.”

“We’re not thinking about anything else. We made too many mistakes at crucial moments. With this squad we were winning a lot of games in the last year and we have to do the same. It’s a question of being more precise and scoring when we have chances.

“We have lost and we know we have to improve. I felt we had a chance when Fernando Torres scored, but the penalty finished it.

After falling away from a challenge for the top four last season, Martin O’Neill was pleased to get the new season on track.

“We’ve won at Anfield and the players were simply brilliant,” he said. “It’s a fantastic win get some confidence about the side.’’

A by-product of last season’s Anfield irritations – they drew seven league matches here – is that Liverpool will find their home performances under considerable analysis but they certainly meant business from the start last night, with Torres’ lob into the area being glanced just wide of Brad Friedel’s goal by Yossi Benayoun after 34 seconds.

Villa should have taken the lead when Torres headed Nicky Shorey’s corner straight back to the Villa full back, whose cross was headed straight at Reina by Davies.

A minute later, the hosts poured into the Villa box with Gerrard’s drive from six yards somehow deflected over by Friedel, who was lying on his back.

In the 34th minute, Villa got themselves in front when Ashley Young’s curling free-kick was deflected past Reina by Lucas.

That breach did nothing to fireLiverpool forward with the crowd becoming increasingly restless at Lucas’ hesitation on the ball, Jamie Carragher barking at the Brazilian and bickering with Mascherano.

If anything they became even more wasteful in possession and Villa had several other opportunities on the break as the hosts failed to maintain possession.

After Torres had a shot blocked by Friedel after good work from Glen Johnson, Reo-Coker and Shorey each had efforts saved by Reina, who earned himself a booking for kicking the ball away in frustration after a corner was correctly awarded after Steve Sidwell’s drive being deflected wide by Skrtel.

Perhaps Liverpool were still distracted and failed to heed their earlier warning as Shorey’s in-swinging corner from the right was met by a firm header from Davies, who got in front Carragher and Torres, to divert past Reina.

If Benitez was looking for a quick reaction, he certainly got it when fine foot-work by Johnson created a yard for Gerrard, whose drive was pushed away at full-stretch by Friedel and the American also dealt with Mascherano’s follow-up.

The pressure was constant and Friedel did well to pull off another fine block from Dirk Kuyt’s header from Gerrard’s corner.

Torres halved the deficit by steering in off the underside of the bar from Emiliano Insua’s cross but the hope was short-lived as Reo-Coker fell over Gerrard’s dangled leg to earn a penalty that was rammed home by Young to leave plenty of questions.

Benitez would not supply any answers but his team will have to come up with some over the coming months.