Source: Telegraph
Liverpool v Aston Villa: preview
According to his opposite number, though, the rather less heralded part played by his goalkeeper both in defence and attack will be just as important to Liverpool's chances of mounting a title challenge this season.
O'Neill, of course, will need no reminding of Pepe Reina's creative skills, having witnessed Albert Riera ruthlessly dispatching his Spanish international team-mate's 70-yard heat-seeker past Brad Friedel during Villa's 5-0 humbling at Anfield last season.
There is more to Reina's repertoire, though, than precise passing, as proved by a succession of fine stops in Liverpool's opening-day defeat at Tottenham and one wonderful reaction save to deny Rory Delap in the mid-week decimation of Stoke.
"A goalkeeper can definitely win you the title," Rafael Benitez said. "When you are attacking all the time, he might have one save to make and that can be the difference. The goalkeeper is a really key player, as Peter Schmeichel was for Manchester United, or Edwin van der Sar last season. To have Pepe in such form so early in the season is very good news for us.
"It is not just in defence that he is important for us, but in attack, too. You know as a defender you cannot stop watching when Pepe and Torres are both on the pitch, because Pepe can give assists. He is good with the ball, good in possession and he is good at organising the defenders and so he can help them. He can also start the counter-attacks.
"He is the complete goalkeeper, and for me the best in the Premier League."
His chances to prove that on Monday night, as on Wednesday, will probably be limited. In their two competitive games so far this season, Villa, seeming a shadow of the side which were being mentioned as outside title challengers as far into the last campaign as March, have yet to score, much less win.
Torpor has set in after their rapid progression under O'Neill. Martin Laursen's unfortunate retirement and Gareth Barry's unavoidable sale have left Villa travelling to Anfield in search of revenge without a permanent captain, emblematic of the uncertainty over where the former Celtic manager takes his team now.
