Source: SKY_Sports
Friedel - Season up and running
Brad Friedel was delighted Aston Villa banished the memory of last season's Anfield mauling with Monday's superb 3-1 Premier League victory at Liverpool.
Martin O'Neill's side were thumped 5-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, leaving Villa returning to the Midlands with their tails firmly between their legs.
However, Villa bounced back this season in style with a stunning success, just over a week after being turned over on home soil by Wigan in their season-opener.
Former Liverpool keeper Friedel, who saw red in the fixture last term, is delighted Villa's season is up and running and hopes they can maintain their winning run against Rapid Vienna in the return leg of their Europa League play-off clash.
Fortune
"I supported Liverpool as a boy. I was fortunate to play with them for a couple of seasons," said Friedel. "To get sent off last season was a huge blow - and not only that, but to lose 5-0 is incredible.
"I don't like to experience the same feeling twice when it's a negative. So we worked ever so hard and we got the result.
"Whenever you beat a big team away from home, it is never one person who does anything, it is a team effort and the team defended fantastically.
"We needed not only to make amends here, but we needed to get off the mark in the season. The club got some bad press because we didn't start off very well against Wigan.
"We're off the mark now and we've got two really important fixtures before the international break. This game's done now. We've got a massive game against Rapid on Thursday night."
