- Kuyt (8), Riera (33), Gerrard (40 pen), Gerrard (50), Gerrard (65 pen)
- Date:2009-03-22
- Kick-off:16:00
- Venue:Anfield
- Attendance:44131
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
93mins
That's it, Liverpool were fantastic and this result piles the pressure on United at the top. Villa need to get over this quickly if they want to challenge for that final Champions League spot.
91mins
Craig Gardner's first act is to see yellow for a late tackle.
88mins
Craig Gardner comes on for John Carew
86mins
Villa have another corner but again Reina is equal to it and collects comfortably.
83mins
Red shirts pour forward again but with options available David N'Gog passes straight to a Villa player.
79mins
Hat-trick hero Steven Gerrard gets a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd as he makes way for David N'Gog.
78mins
Villa force a corner but Reina rises unchallenged to claim the ball.
75mins
Daniel Agger comes on for Alvaro Arbeloa, who had just recovered from injury, sensible change from Benitez
72mins
Liverpool show no signs of going down, perhaps with goal difference in mind. This is proving to be a pivotal weekend in the title race
67mins
Lucas Leiva comes on for Xabi Alonso as Bentiez looks to rest players.
64mins
Cuzan's first job is to pick the ball out of the net as GERRARD completes his hat-trick from the spot.
63mins
Sub keeper Brad Guzan comes on for Nigel Reo-Coker.
62mins
Friedel sees red for the foul, a bit harsh that one, very harsh in fact given the circumstances - this was later rescinded by the FA.
62mins
It's getitng even worse for Villa,Fernando Torres is played through and is taken out by the onrushing Brad Friedel, penalty to Liverpool
60mins
Gabriel Agbonlahor's pace looks the best bet for Villa to get a consolation, but Liverpool are playing so well that we shouldn't rule out more goals at the other end.
57mins
Gabriel Agbonlahor comes on for Emile Heskey, who gets a clap from both sets of fans for his efforts.
56mins
Liverpool pile forward again and Xabi Alonso fires the ball just wide, they are looking full of confidence at the moment.
53mins
James Milner puts in a good cross towards Emile Heskey but the former Liverpool man's header is easily claimed by Reina.
49mins
Brilliant goal! Arbeloa lays it off for GERRARD to side-foot home the free-kick. If it wasn't game over before, it is now!
49mins
Kuyt jinks his way through a crowd of Villa players before being brought down just outside the penalty area for a free-kcik - Gerrard territory again.
45mins
We are underway again at Anfield.
45mins
The referee blows for half time, things couldn't have gone better for Liverpool. What now for Villa? Lets wait and see.....
43mins
Villa looked stunned at the moment, they just can't cope with Liverpool's attacking players, the half time whistle can't come soon enough for them.
41mins
Villa are losing it here as Luke Young sees yellow for a late tackle.
40mins
Gareth Barry is booked for protesting about the penalty too much.
39mins
STEVEN GERRARD steps up and sends Brad Friedel the wrong way to put Liverpool in complete control. Nightmare for Villa.
39mins
Riera breaks free in the area and Reo-Coker takes him down, penalty no question
34mins
Gerrard looks in the mood and he goes close again with a shot from range, its looking ominous here for Villa.
32mins
Jose Reina's long ball is missed by Villa's defenders and REIRA unleashes a powerful volley past Brad Freidel, Liverpool in complete control now
30mins
As Villa look to keep posession Liverpoll seem to content to soak up the pressure and hit them on the break, Gerrard inparticular looks a threat breaking from midfield (yet again!)
27mins
Gerrard and Fernando Torres combine well again but Carlos Cuellar gets in a last ditch interception. the Liverpool pair are looking dangerous once again.
24mins
Another chance for Villa! Nigel Reo-Coker launches another high ball into the box towards John Carew but once again Reina is equal to it and makes a good save. Carew has been Villa's main threat so far.
22mins
Gerrards gets booked for a late challenge, he was just a bit late rather than anything malicious.
20mins
Chance for Villa! Luke Young curls in a wonderful cross towards John Carew who flicks the ball towards goal, Jose Reina does well though to tip the ball over, great save.
15mins
Chance for Liverpool! Albert Riera whips in a dangerous cross towards an unmarked Steven Gerrard but the Liverpool skipper couldn't quite make contact with the ball - Gerrard has been everywhere so far today.
13mins
After the euphoria of the early goal things slow down a bit and everyone takes a breather.
10mins
Liverpool look rampant at the moment and Villa are struggling to keep hold of the ball.
7mins
Gerrard whips in the free-kick, the ball comes off the bar off a Villa head, but KUYT is on hand to head home the rebound - great start for Liverpool
6mins
Albert Riera breaks down the left but is brought down by Nigel Reo-Coker , free kick to Liverpool in a dangerous position, Steven Gerrard territory.
4mins
Fernando Torres feeds it foward to Steven Gerrard bursting through the middle, but Villa manage to clear, just.
3mins
Its Villa's turn to have a corner but it comes to nothing, decent start by both sides.
1mins
Steven Gerrard wins an early corner for Liverpool, but Alvaro Arbeloas cross is claimed by Brad Friedel
0mins
Referee Martin Atkinson gets the match, arguably Liverpool's biggest of the season so far, underway.
0mins
Villa boss Martin O'Neill also makes two changes, Curtis Davies and John Carew come in for Zat Knight and Gabriel Agbonlahor - who of course was jeered by his own fans last week.
0mins
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez brings in Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso for Lucas Leiva and Sami Hyypia. A win for the reds today would close the gap at the top to just one point.
Match Preview
Liverpool face another important game following last weekend's clash with Manchester United when Aston Villa come to Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds brought their Premier League title challenge back to life with a stunning 4-1 victory over the leaders last weekend, but all their hard work at Old Trafford will wasted should they fail to overcome Villa.
By kick-off time on Merseyside, Rafael Benitez's side could be trailing United by seven points again as they are in action 24 hours earlier against Fulham.
So to keep the pressure on at the top of the table, the Reds require a victory over a side that still have plenty left to play for this season.
Benitez has enjoyed the rare luxury of a free week in the build-up to the visit of the fifth-placed Midlands club, but even the famously unpredictable Spaniard is unlikely to make too many changes to last weekend's starting line-up.
Star striker Fernando Torres' ankle problem will have had seven more days to heal, while the need to wrap Steven Gerrard in cotton wool following his recent hamstring problems are now receding.
Daniel Agger (back) and Alvaro Arbeloa (hamstring) have been passed fit, but Benitez has conceded the game may come too soon for Xabi Alonso after the Spain midfielder missed the United game with a hamstring niggle.
Villa know the three points are just as important to them as they are to Liverpool. They have slipped out of the top four after picking up just one point from the last 12 on offer, culminating in last weekend's 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Tottenham.
Afterwards, manager Martin O'Neill was angry with the fans who turned on his side - with the Villa boss particularly angry at the jeers which greeted the substitution of Gabriel Agbonlahor.
O'Neill has challenged the young England striker to rise above the boos and let his football do the talking, starting with this weekend's high-profile game.
Elsewhere, Wilfred Bouma could make his first appearance since August after the left-back's recovery from a broken ankle.
Skipper Martin Laursen (knee) and midfielder Steve Sidwell (hamstring) are both absent, but John Carew could return to the starting line-up after proving his fitness following a back problem with a string of recent substitute appearances.
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Match Report
Liverpool sent out a stark warning to Manchester United after closing the gap on the Premier League leaders to just one point following a 5-0 rout of Aston Villa at Anfield.
Rafael Benitez's men are breathing down United's necks after goals from Dirk Kuyt, Albert Riera and a Steven Gerrard hat-trick extended Villa's run without a league win to eight games.
Liverpool's recent successes against Real Madrid and Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been down to their blistering starts and there was no exception for Villa, who were caught cold after only eight minutes.
Makeshift right-back Nigel Reo-Coker failed to deal with a long kick from Reds keeper Pepe Reina and carelessly fouled tricky winger Riera on the edge of the area.
Xabi Alonso glanced Gerrard's free-kick onto the bar but Kuyt was on hand to rifle the ball past the hapless Brad Friedel to give Liverpool the lead.
Gerrard was instrumental in every home attack and the England midfielder should have doubled the lead on 15 minutes only to see his header go agonisingly over.
Recalled Villa striker John Carew was causing trouble for Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher in the heart of the Liverpool defence and Reina was twice forced into action to stop the big Norwegian from claiming Villa's equaliser.
Liverpool stepped up a gear after that and their football was worthy of league champions, but their second goal was pure route one.
Reina's long kick again deceived the away defence and Riera took his time before smashing the ball into the net off onto the underside of the crossbar.
Villa were at sixes and sevens and their lack of confidence was evident as the home side made it three before the break.
Kuyt's brilliant cross-field ball found the on-rushing Riera, who was again brought down by Reo-Coker.
This time it was in the area and captain Gerrard stepped up to slot the resulting penalty past Friedel and send the Anfield faithful into raptures.
Liverpool started the second half exactly how they finished the first as Gerrard got his second and the home side's fourth.
Carlos Cuellar clipped Kuyt on the edge of the area and after a touch from Alonso, Gerrard placed the ball superbly into the far bottom corner.
Despite being four goals up, Benitez's men were not in the mood to take their foot off the pedal and Gerrard secured his hat-trick with another penalty after Friedel had been sent off for a professional foul on Fernando Torres.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill cut a distraught figure on the sidelines as Torres and Riera began flaunting their skills knowing that the three points were secure and their side's title challenge was very much back on track.
Liverpool Team
Aston Villa Team
Liverpool | Aston Villa |
Corners
| 4 | 6 |
Fouls
| 10 | 13 |
Goal attempts
| 16 | 6 |
Shots off target
| 6 | 2 |
Offsides
| 1 | 2 |
90mins
Three minutes are to be added on, It cant come quick enough for Villa.