FT Summary: Liverpool 3:0 Aston Villa

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 3:0 Aston Villa

1st & 2nd half half summary:

- Fernando Torres missing out as his wife has gone into labour, adding him onto the absentee list of skipper Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher due to injury.

- Liverpool kick off the game, Pepe Reina the skipper for tonight.

- Villa fail to clear the ball off the free kick they concede right outside the box, Dirk Kuyt puts the strike wide.

- Free kick in the same area seconds earlier comes to nothing, Kuyt losing the ball.

- First attempt on target for Villa, Albrighten in the box putting the ball over to his right, Reina picking it up quite comfortable.

- Honours and possession even after the first 12 minutes, neither goalkeeper challenged.

- Liverpool win the first corner of the night headed by Martin Skrtel from the edge of the box to David Ngog in the box and he jump-heads, nearly catapults it in, superb goal on 13:19, 1-0.

- 15:48 Ryan Babel makes it two, looked offside, lucky, turns around from the right corner of the box, taking the right-foot shot well to make it 2-0. Steven Warnock thought it was off, letting the Frenchman off and going on to score.

- First corner for Villa on 19, weak and easily cleared by Meireles.

- Second corner for the guests not much more productive, cleared easily by Skrtel.

- Another good chance for the Reds, Raul Meireles taking a free kick from right outside the box, Sotirios Kyrgiakos putting an easy, clear header wide.

- 10 minutes to go until half time, scrappy game but Liverpool on top, Aston Villa unable to keep the ball much longer than two seconds.

- Babel puts a shot from the edge of the box wide, Brad Friedel scrambling.

- First booking of the night: Ciaran Clark sees yellow for showing his studs v Lucas Leiva, his fifth this season, that means he will miss out Villa's next game against West Brom.

- 1 minute added on... Liverpool end the half comfortable 2-0 ahead, Villa lacking width and options without Ashley Young.

- Villa kicks the second half having made one change, Nathan Delfouneso replacing the booked Clark, formation changes to 4-4-2, will that change their fortune?

- Interesting fact: Liverpool haven't scored in the second half for the last 5 games, that makes it over 7.5 hours.

- Agbonlahor should have scored but doesn't get enough on it, Reina making a wonderful block-save. Glorious opportunity for Villa to start the comeback.

- Free kick right outside the box for Villa, ends up in Reina gloves, easy.

- Ngog from the left, into the box, outside right-foot pass to Maxi Rodriguez, easy shot into the right corner of the net on 54:56min, 3-0.

- Downing puts a half-volley painfully wide.

- Aston Villa enjoy much more possession this half but are not making much of it. All the passes backwards and forwards coming to nothing, not threatening Reina at all.

- Villa make their two remaining changes just before Downing takes a free kick left outside the box, close but the ball ends in Reina's gloves again.

- Glen Johnson looking for a fourth off a quickly taken free kick, makes it through the defense and pulls a great double-punch out by Friedel. Corner is easily and safely defended out to Villa's relief.

- Rodriguez finds Johnson inside the box who should have drilled it into the goal easy but insead puts it high without working Friedel.

- Liverpool pressing on, keeping Villa busy in the box. Corner, Kyrgiakos header cleared off the line by Hogg before Liverpool make their first change.

- Another corner for the Reds is cleared, Johnson wasting a good ball wide. Second substitution for the home side, Cole gets about 10 minutes after missing the last five matches.

- Last substitution for Liverpool, Kyrgiakos leaves the field and enjoys the applause, Martin Kelly replaces him.

- Babel turns the Villa team on their head with some beautiful movements and ends up being fowled for it.

- Ngog breaks, passes to Johnson who puts it too far for Babel to reach. They have certainly enjoyed tonight.

- 2 minutes added on, no interruptions at all to the game tonight apart from the changes... 3 goals, 3 points in the bag for Liverpool, 100 clean sheets for Reina, quicker than Grobbelaar and Clemence.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos (Kelly 84), Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt (Cole 80), Meireles, Lucas, Maxi (scored 55, Aurelio 76), Babel (scored 14), Ngog (scored 16).
Subs not used: Jones, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton (Pires 66), Clark (booked 38, Delfouneso HT), Hogg, Downing, Ireland, Agbonlahor (Carew 66). Subs not used: Guzan, Cuellar, Lichaj, Herd.

1st half stats:
Liverpool-Aston Villa
Attempts: 5-1
On target: 2-1
Offsides: 0-0
Corners: 1-2
Free kicks: 9-6
Possession:
50%-50% after 12min
55%-45% at HT

2nd half stats:
Liverpool-Aston Villa
Attempts: 5-3
On target: 5-2
Offsides: 2-0
Corners: 3-1
Free kicks: 4-5
Possession:
40%-60% 2nd half up to 62min
50%-50% at FT

Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the match: David Ngog