Brendan Rodgers happy with reprieve

Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 2: Brendan Rodgers needed no evidence of the short term memory of the football industry, the knee-jerk reactions that can turn champs into chumps and back again, all within the blink of a news cycle now measured in minutes rather than weeks.

But if he did, the last seven days at Anfield would be a good place for him to start.

Underwhelming in a home draw with Norwich last Sunday, unspeakably bad in scraping through a penalty shoot-out victory over Carlisle, two goals from Daniel Sturridge finally saw Liverpool win in front of their home support, even if there were enough defensive frailties on display to offer concern.