Continuing the series
where I look back at my five favourite wins by Liverpool against their upcoming
opponents. This weekend Liverpool play
against Aston Villa at Anfield. Here are
my five favourite wins from past encounters.
8th May 1979
LIVERPOOL (2) 3 (A.Kennedy
1,
Dalglish 38, McDermott 57)
ASTON VILLA (0) 0
LIVERPOOL: Clemence; Neal, Thompson, Hansen, A.Kennedy; Case,
McDermott, Souness, R.Kennedy; Johnson, Dalglish
ASTON VILLA: Rimmer; Gidman, Evans, McNaught, Gibson; Swain,
Mortimer, Gregory, Cowans; Deehan, Cropley (Linton)
Having been denied a
treble of League Championships the season before, when Brian Clough’s
Nottingham Forest were Champions, Liverpool came back with a vengeance. This was a record-breaking season for them
and as Villa arrived at Anfield for the third-to-last game of the season, the
title could be secured.
Villa were lying in 8th,
18pts behind their hosts but unbeaten in their previous six matches which
included a win over Liverpool at Villa Park in April. That defeat at Villa Park was the only one of
1979 for Liverpool as their unbeaten run had stretched to 13 games since they
lost at Bristol City in mid-December.
Liverpool’s home form was stunning.
Only two sides had come away with a point and only 4 players had managed
to breach the home defence. In Liverpool’s
10 previous titles they had never reached more than 61pts, yet they were
sitting on 62pts at the start of play.
In front of just over
50,000 fans, Liverpool took the lead inside the opening minute. Terry McDermott’s cross was turned in by Alan
Kennedy. Kennedy had made his debut in
August and was to become an integral part of one of the meanest defences
British football has ever seen. With
half-time approaching and The Kop in great voice, Kenny Dalglish made it
2-0. This season would represent his
best return in front of goal with 21, but his contribution to the side was
worth much more than that. Villa battled
valiantly but Terry McDermott finished things off just before the hour.
3-0 it was and Liverpool
won their 11th title, with a new points record (68), a new record
for fewest goals conceded at home (4) and best goal difference (+69). They won 40pts from a maximum 42pts at home
too.
Aston Villa finished 8th
but would go onto win the title, themselves two years from here.
3rd May 1980
LIVERPOOL (1) 4 (Johnson 3, 72,
Cohen 50, Blake og, 78)
ASTON VILLA (1) 1 (Cohen
og, 26)
LIVERPOOL: Clemence; Neal, Thompson, Hansen, Cohen; Lee, McDermott,
Souness, R. Kennedy; Johnson, Dalglish
ASTON VILLA: Rimmer; Swain, Blake, Ormsby, Gibson; Bremner, Heard,
Linton (Morley), Cowans; Geddis, Shaw
The games were coming
thick and fast for Liverpool ,after their marathon FA Cup Semi-Final with
Arsenal. It was their 4th
game of the week, having met Arsenal on the Monday and then Thursday before
this Saturday match. In the league they
had lost just twice since the end of February and had conceded just once in
their last six at home. Villa were in 5th,
improving on twelve months earlier.
Liverpool were top of the
table leading Manchester United on goal difference but with a game in
hand. On the same day United travelled
to Leeds, knowing defeat would mean the title remained at Anfield.
Liverpool had won the
title against Villa at home this time last year, and history was to repeat
itself as David Johnson gave them an early lead. Johnson had worked hard to try and gain a regular
place and this season would prove to be his best at Anfield with 27 goals in
all competitions. Midway through the
first half, the visitors got back on level terms. They pushed forward and Ivor Linton’s shot
was blocked by Avi Cohen, but the ball looped over Clemence into the net. The first Israeli to play in English
football, Cohen had struggled to force his way past Alan Kennedy at left back
and today was his chance to impress, but this was not the impression he was
looking to make.
Five minutes into the
second half the ground rose as one to acclaim Cohen who made amends for his
mistake in the first half. As Liverpool
attacked on the right of the area, Dalglish knocked the ball across to the left
where Cohen arrived late and fired the ball into the corner past Rimmer. Cohen was a huge favourite at Anfield. He only made 24 appearances, but scored 2
goals – both at the same end in different halves of the same match!
As the game went into the
final twenty minutes, Johnson scored a screamer. He later explained that coach Ronnie Moran
had been getting on his back about not scoring enough with his left foot, so he
‘lashed’ this in and it ‘hit the post and shot across the net’. Liverpool complete the scoring when Villa
defender, Noel Blake, put through his own net for a 4-1 win.
As the game finished,
news filtered through that Manchester United had lost at Leeds so Liverpool
were Champions once again, which more than made up for disappointment of not
reaching the FA Cup Final. Villa ended
up in 7th.
3rd March 1996
LIVERPOOL (3) 3 (McManaman
2, Fowler 5, 8)
ASTON VILLA (0) 0
LIVERPOOL: James; McAteer, Wright (Redknapp), Babb, Scales, Jones;
McManaman, Thomas, Barnes; Fowler, Collymore (Rush)
ASTON VILLA: Bosnich; Charles, Ehiogu, Southgate, Wright; Townsend,
Farrelly, Scimeca, Staunton (Joachim); Yorke, Milosevic
These two were 3rd
and 4th at the start of play desperately hoping to make ground on
Manchester United and Newcastle.
Liverpool were unbeaten since November, a run of 12 games, including a
2-0 win at Villa Park. For Aston Villa
that home defeat to Liverpool was their only one of the year so far, a run of 8
matches.
This game will forever be
remembered for the day Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman destroyed Villa inside
eight minutes. The game was over, as a
contest, by then. For the opening couple
of minutes the visitors didn’t touch the ball.
Liverpool knocked the ball around comfortably from left to right, looking
for an opening. It came as Collymore’s
left footed ball into the area from the right wing was flicked on by Fowler and
McManaman, just inside the area, volleyed the ball first time past Bosnich and
it all looked effortless.
Villa eventually got a
touch but struggled to hold onto it as Liverpool were rampant. Collymore forced Bosnich into a save, before Anfield
witnessed one of the best finishes ever seen came with just 5 minutes gone. Fowler, McAteer and McManaman formed a triangle
on the right side of midfield and as McManaman played the ball forward to
Fowler, the Liverpool striker had his back to goal with Staunton coming up
close behind him. Fowler flicked the
ball behind him with his left foot, turned and left Staunton for dead. As Fowler strode towards goal he took one
more touch and then fired an unbelievable left foot strike from 25 yards which
flew in past Bosnich’s right hand. It
was a stunning strike and one which will live long in the memory. The turn was a modern-day equivalent of ‘the
Cruyff turn’ and as if that wasn’t enough, the power and accuracy of the shot
was almost too much.
It was Fowler’s 28th
goal of the season and the place was bouncing.
But Liverpool weren’t about to settle back as their constant pass and
move was in full evidence. Villa just
couldn’t get the ball, as the home sides movement was running rings round
them. Within minutes Jones, hugging the
left touchline just inside his own half, played a ball through the Villa
defence and Fowler was away again. As he
reached the edge of the area he again fired an unstoppable shot underneath
Bosnich. The angle seemed far too tight,
yet the power of the shot was far too much for the Villa keeper. Just eight minutes into the game and it was
all over. The play was devastating and
Villa were completely stunned.
3-0 was the result and it
was Liverpool’s third consecutive win.
Liverpool ended up in 3rd as Manchester United pipped
Newcastle to the post. Villa ended 4th.
6th September
2000
LIVERPOOL (3) 3 (Owen 5, 14, 33)
ASTON VILLA (0) 1 (Stone 83)
LIVERPOOL: Westerveld; Babbel, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher, Traore;
Smicer (Barmby), Gerrard, Hamann; Owen, Heskey (Meijer)
ASTON VILLA: James; Stone,Southgate, Ehiogu, Barry; Taylor, Alpay
(Ginola), Boateng (Hendrie); Nilis, Dublin, Merson
A visit early in the
season for Villa this time but it was another one where they came away with
nothing. Villa’s two matches before this
had ended in draws with Liverpool registering a win, a loss and a draw in their
three.
A week earlier, Liverpool
had surrendered a three goal lead to only gain a point at Southampton. This time they weren’t so profligate. Inside the opening five minutes Heskey
powered his way down the right and his cross was turned in by Michael
Owen. Owen had scored twice at
Southampton and was in a rich vein of goalscoring form. Ten minutes later Smicer’s right-wing corner
was missed by David James and one of the smallest men in the area, Owen, was
able to head Liverpool into a 2-0 lead.
Then just after the half hour, a poor defensive header let Owen in and
James charged off his line. The former
Liverpool keeper missed the ball again and Owen passed the ball into the empty
net to complete his hat-trick. 6 goals
in his last 3 games for Owen and it was a great start to the season.
Villa had claims for a
penalty turned down and then in the second half Southgate cleared off the line
after another James mistake. Anfield had
long become used to these errors from James, but this time they were to profit
from them. Steve Stone grabbed a
consolation goal for the visitors but Liverpool were not to be denied.
Liverpool finished the
season in 3rd behind Manchester United and Arsenal with Aston Villa
back in 8th
22nd March 2009
LIVERPOOL (3) 5 (Kuyt 8, Riera 33, Gerrard pen 39, 50, pen
65)
ASTON VILLA (0) 0
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Arbeloa (Agger), Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio;
Kuyt, Gerrard (N’Gog), Mascherano, Alonso (Lucas), Riera; Torres
ASTON VILLA: Friedel; Young, Davies, Cuellar; Milner, Barry, Reo-Coker
(Guzan), Petrov, Young; Heskey (Agbonlahor), Carew (Gardner)
When Villa arrived at
Anfield in 2009 both sides were in the top 5.
Liverpool were in 3rd just 4pts behind the leaders,
Manchester United, who they’d beaten 4-1 the previous week. Aston Villa were back in 5th and
dreaming of possible Champions League places.
Liverpool were in
sparkling form. They’d beaten Real
Madrid, 4-0 in the Champions League then Manchester United, 4-1, at Old
Trafford and confidence was high. Eight
minutes in and they had a free-kick on the left edge of the area. Steven Gerrard’s stunning strike clattered the
bar and as it bounced down Dirk Kuyt caught it full on the volley to open the scoring. Villa struggled to get into the game as
Liverpool threatened to take them apart.
A long Pepe Reina kick bounced beyond the Villa defence and Albert Riera
ran onto it and he also met it first time on the volley to fire past Friedel
for a 2-0 lead. Riera was then brought down
in the box and Gerrard tucked away the penalty for a comfortable 3-0 half-time
lead.
Villa had been playing
some good football up to this match, but they were clearly second best on this
occasion. In the second half, Liverpool
had another free-kick just outside the area.
Riera knocked the ball sideways to Gerrard who side-footed it into the
net for his 2nd of the game.
Then midway through the half Torres was clear of the defence and as
Friedel came out, he tapped the ball past the keeper just in time the challenge
to bring him down. Friedel actually
turned his back to avoid the contact but Torres was in full flow and was
brought down. Friedel was sent-off,
although Villa successfully appealed his red card. Gerrard stepped up, sent Guzan the wrong way
to complete his hat-trick.
Liverpool moved about
Chelsea into 2nd and within a point of United. This was the finest Liverpool team of recent
years but in the end they were pipped to the title by 4pts. Villa ended in 6th.
HEAD TO HEAD at Anfield
Matches: 89
Liverpool win: 55
Aston Villa win: 16
Draws: 18
Liverpool goals: 197
Aston Villa goals: 96
No comments:
Post a Comment