Saturday 5 November 2005 12:45 FA Barclays Premier League
"Aston Villa"	0 - 2	"Liverpool"
	(0-0)
GOAL
		Gerrard 84 p., Alonso 89
1  Thomas Sorensen   6  Gareth Barry   4  Olaf Mellberg  19  Liam Ridgewell   2  Mark Delaney  11  James Milner  24  Eirik Bakke   8  Gavin McCann  12  Steven Davis  10  Milan Baros  20  Kevin Phillips  Subs:  13  Stuart Taylor   3  JLloyd Samuel   7  Lee Hendrie   9  Juan Pablo Angel  22  Luke Moore		25  Jose Reina   6  John Arne Riise   3  Steve Finnan  23  Jamie Carragher   4  Sami Hyypia  14  Xabi Alonso   8  Steven Gerrard (c)  10  Luis Garcia  22  Mohamed Sissoko   9  Djibril Cisse  19  Fernando Morientes  Subs:   1  Jerzy Dudek  28  Stephen Warnock  30  Boudewijn Zenden   7  Harry Kewell  15  Peter Crouch
SUBSTITUTIONS
Phillips (Angel 6)  Bakke (Hendrie 82)		Garcia (Zenden 57)  Morientes (Crouch 69)  Cisse (Kewell 76)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Booked: Barry, McCann 24		Booked: Sissoko 25, Alonso 80
VENUE		MANAGERS
Villa Park (capacity 42,584) Attendance: 42,551		David O'Leary (Aston V) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

  Price: J2,50

  Notes:

  - Steven Gerrard makes his 300th appearance for LFC

  REDS LEAVE IT LATE TO SEAL VICTORY AT VILLA

  Steven Gerrard celebrated his 300th Liverpool appearance by scoring a late penalty against Aston Villa at Villa Park that set the Reds on their way to a first away win in the Premiership this season.

  Gerrard netted from the spot in 84th minute after substitute Peter Crouch had been fouled by Liam Ridgewell and Xabi Alonso sealed a priceless 2-0 victory on the stroke of the full-time whistle with a decisive low drive through a crowded penalty box.

  The Reds had created the better chances and enjoyed the majority of possession but until the skipper's intervention it looked like being another frustrating afternoon on their Premiership travels.

  At a venue where Liverpool had not lost since February 1998 Rafa's men were aiming to win three games in a row for the first time this season and they set out their intentions early in the game.

  The best moment of a positive start saw Luis Garcia curling a shot narrowly wide after an impressive passing move, while Steven Gerrard, on his 300th senior appearance for the club, posed a major threat whenever he gained possession down the right.

  In response, Aston Villa offered little. It took until the 15th minute for them to make any meaningful headway into the Liverpool half and Pepe Reina's only real scare was a 25th minute glancing header by Kevin Phillips from a James Milner free-kick that sailed just past the far post.

  The best opportunity of the opening half however fell to Cisse and he'll be kicking himself for failing to break the deadlock. The in-form French striker raced onto a delightful through ball by Gerrard but he couldn't beat Villa keeper Thomas Sorensen in a one-on-one situation, much to the dismay of the large contingent of travelling Liverpudlians.

  Liverpool remained in control as the game progressed and it was they who looked most likely to draw first blood. On the stroke of half-time Morientes smashed a shot from distance straight at Sorensen and shortly after the restart Momo Sissoko tried his luck with a long-range effort but failed to find the target.

  As the hour mark approached an error by Sorensen almost gifted the white-shirted Reds the lead but after failing tohold a cross from Riise the Danish stopper made amends with a fine save to keep out Morientes' low shot.

  At the opposite end it required a brave tackle by the outstanding Jamie Carragher to deny ex-Liverpool striker Milan Baros and seconds later Reina prevented a certain Villa goal with a great block from substitute Juan Pablo Angel.

  As the game opened up the home side began to look more dangerous and a crucial interception by Sami Hyypia on the edge of the Liverpool box spared John Arne Riise's blushes after Villa had capitalised on a misplaced pass by the Norwegian and broke swiftly.

  Former Villain Peter Crouch enter the fray as a 69th minute substitute and he was immediately involved. First, he pulled the ball back impressively to tee up Gerrard for a shot that was pushed around the post superbly by Sorensen.

  Then shortly afterwards he spurned a gilt-edged opportunity when he headed straight at the keeper from point-blank range following a Zenden centre from the left.

  The much-maligned striker kept plugging away and with six minutes remaining his presence in the box won the penalty from which Liverpool opened the scoring. Gerrard held his nerve to send Sorensen the wrong way from 12-yards out and the Reds were on their way to a vital three points.

  Alonso's late strike ensured there was no nervous finale and the team left the pitch to a rapturous reception from the appreciative fans who had made the journey down the M6.

  Three wins in a row, a first in the league away from home this season and another clean sheet. Liverpool are displaying the form you'd expect of European Champions and it's just a pity that the international break means they now have to wait a fortnight for the chance to build on this impressive result.

  Teams

  Aston Villa (4-4-2): Sorensen, Barry, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Delaney, Milner, Bakke, McCann, Davis, Baros, Phillips. Subs - Taylor, Samuel, Hendrie, Moore, Angel.

  Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina, Riise, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan, Garcia, Sissoko, Alonso, Gerrard, Cisse, Morientes. Subs - Dudek, Warnock, Kewell, Crouch, Zenden.

  Referee: Steve Bennett

  Conditions: Dry and cold

  Attendance: 42,551

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Jamie Carragher

  Breakdown

12:46 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Aston Villa get the match underway
2 mins : Liverpool win an early free kick but Alonso decides against drifting the ball into the area
3 mins : Baros gets his first touch of the ball but can't find a team-mate with a short pass
5 mins : Garcia curls a shot just wide from outside the area at the end of a brilliant passing move involving several players
8 mins : Morientes and Finnan look to deliver crosses from the right but Villa clear on both occasions
11 mins : Sissoko attempts to slide the ball into Cisse's path but Sorensen is out quickly for Villa
15 mins : Cisse and Gerrard combine well to win the first corner of the game. Good play by the Reds.
17 mins : Reina commands his area well and punches clear the ball as Villa deliver a free kick into the Liverpool box
21 mins : Brilliant tackle from Carragher to take the ball off Baros' foot as the Czech star runs onto Milner's pass
24 mins : Booking: Gavin McCann: Late challenge on Riise
25 mins : Booking: Momo Sissoko: Foul on Baros
26 mins : Phillips glances Milner's cross just wide as Villa threaten for the first time
31 mins : Cisse misses the chance of the match so far as he fires at Sorensen after being played clear by Gerrard
32 mins : McCann arrives on the edge of the box to fire a poor shot well wide of Reina's goal
41 mins : Cisse beats Barry down the right and flashes an excellent cross into the danger zone, but no team-mates are on hand to slide the ball home
43 mins : Gerrard smashes the ball into the goal from Garcia's pass but is correctly flagged offside
13:32 GMT : Half Time Reached

13:48 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second half underway
47 mins : Hyypia's long ball leads to a corner as Ridgewell heads away from Cisse and behind his own goal
49 mins : Delaney catches Garcia on the back of the leg and requires treatment
50 mins : Cisse beats the offside trap down the right but can't pick out Morientes in the area
51 mins : Sissoko attempts a spectacular drive from 25 yards but misses the target by a considerable distance
54 mins : McCann clips a shot wide of the goal as he gets to Milner's low corner ten yards from goal
56 mins : Substitution: Boudewijn Zenden for Luis Garcia:
58 mins : Sorensen makes a fine save low down from Morientes' low shot after the 'keeper's error had gifted the Reds the chance
61 mins : Substitution: Juan Pablo Angel for Kevin Phillips:
66 mins : Angel and Baros both have chances to score but Reina is quick off his line to clear the danger
68 mins : Barry moves into space and blasts a left footed effort well over
68 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Fernando Morientes:
71 mins : Sorensen makes a brilliant save down to his left to deny Gerrard breaking the deadlock with a fierce drive
73 mins : Baros misses a great chance to score when his first touch lets him down in the area after Villa break through the Reds' offside trap
74 mins : Zenden floats in a great cross from the left and picks out an unmarked Crouch who can only direct his header straight at Sorensen. Great chance gone begging
76 mins : Substitution: Harry Kewell for Djibril Cisse:
80 mins : Booking: Xabi Alonso:
81 mins : Substitution: Lee Hendrie for Eirik Bakke:
84 mins : Penalty Scored! Steven Gerrard: The skipper rolls the ball in from the spot after a foul on Crouch in the area
88 mins : GOAL! Xabi Alonso: Alonso smashes the ball low into the net from the edge of the area to double our lead
14:36 GMT : Match Over

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