Robbie Fowler must be grateful his season is over. At least he will be spared
the slow death of Liverpool's season while he sits out his six-match ban.
Aston Villa were the perfect Anfield guests on an emotional day... until the
game started. Their players and fans behaved perfectly as Liverpool remembered
the dead of Hillsborough in this 10th anniversary week of the tragedy.
Villa laid flowers in front of the Kop and their fans applauded a moving
tribute to the 96 who died.
Then the game started and Villa proceeded to strip away the last fleeting
beliefs that Liverpool can compete at the top of the Premiership.
Liverpool were outclassed. In the first half Villa put together a compelling
display of attacking football and should have been further ahead at the break
than Ian Taylor's goal.
In the second half Liverpool, stung into retaliation, tried desperately to
scramble something from the debris, but Villa remained organised and together as
a unit and stifled any home recovery notions.
Fowler waved goodbye to the Kop at the end, and went off with his arms round
Steve McManaman, the pair realising that this was the last time they would play
together for the club.
Villa now march on towards debatable involvement in the InterToto Cup while
Liverpool go who knows where. They looked rudderless and lacking in any real
self belief.
When the game started, Liverpool were taken apart and were lucky to escape
conceding a penalty in the first minute when it looked as if Jamie Carragher had
brought down Julian Joachim in the box.
Villa continually worried Liverpool in the air and when a Mark Draper
free-kick was nodded across goal by Taylor, Carragher was forced into desperate
measures to clear off the line under pressure from Gareth Southgate.
Dion Dublin was next to test the hosts, with a fine shot on the turn from 20
yards that David James pulled down.
Villa's midfield mobility and the industry of young Lee Hendrie was causing
Liverpool all sorts of problems.
Liverpool's attacks were fleeting and after Mark Bosnich had been stranded
outside his box, Riedle failed to take advantage before Stig Bjornebye got in a
cross from the left after good work by Dominic Matteo, and Riedle arrived to
flick a shot wide.
Another Bjornebye cross forced Bosnich into a flying save with Paul Ince
charging in. But that was about it from a harassed home side.
Liverpool's inability to handle anything above chest high was the continued
problem, and they had survived several scares with the ball flashing across the
box before Villa scored after 33 minutes.
Alan Wright's cross from the left was turned into the danger area by Joachim,
and Taylor eased into the six-yard box to push the ball into the corner of the
net without a Liverpool man moving.
After 38 minutes Liverpool's frustration became clear. Rigobert Song caused
uproar in front of the Villa fans with a ferocious challenge on Hendrie, putting
the ball out of play but following through with his foot up and sending the
teenager crashing over the touchline.
Referee Jeff Winter eventually booked Song having first calmed everyone down
and warned Liverpool coach Phil Thompson to return to the dug-out.
Villa almost scored a second a minute from the break when Carragher had to
hook acrobatically off the line after Dublin's header from Steve Watson's cross
had beaten James.
After the break, Oyvind Leonhardsen came on for Bjornebye, with Matteo
dropping to full-back and the little Norwegian gave Liverpool's midfield more
shape and purpose.
Leonhardsen, out of the frame for so long this term, looked like a man with
something to prove and his energy and commitment helped the home side to at last
figure as an attacking force, even if it still failed to produce serious
openings.
McManaman, though, missed a great chance to equalise when Riedle and
Leonhardsen presented him with a clear shot from 12 yards, but his shot was
timid and ill-directed.
Then Riedle pulled back another low cross, and this time McManaman saw his
shot blocked in the area. Nothing seemed to be going right for the England man
who will be on his way from Liverpool soon.
Four minutes from time Fowler had his first real chance, latching onto a
Riedle flick to send a header over Bosnich and agonisingly wide of the post.
Teams
Liverpool: James, Song (Dundee 86), Carragher, Babb,
Bjornebye (Leonhardsen 46), McManaman, Redknapp, Ince, Matteo, Fowler, Riedle.
Subs Not Used: Staunton, Ferri, Friedel.
Booked: Song, Riedle.
Aston Villa: Bosnich, Watson, Calderwood, Southgate, Wright,
Stone, Taylor, Draper, Hendrie (Merson 70), Dublin, Joachim (Barry 90).
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Vassell, Delaney.
Booked: Bosnich.
Goals: Taylor 33.
Att: 44,306.
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
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