Liverpool rescued a point against
Aston Villa thanks to a controversial penalty gained by striker Luis Suarez.
The visitors looked set to grab
all three points in a thrilling contest at Anfield when the Uruguayan went down
easily under challenge from Villa keeper Brad Guzan.
Despite strong protests from the
Villa players, referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot and England captain Steven
Gerrard fired hometo spare his team’s blushes.
Buoyed by a 3-1 victory in the
same fixture last season, Villa started the game strongly and almost scored
with barely two minutes on the clock. Striker Christian Benteke's flick bounced
into the path of strike partner Gabriel Agbonlahor who poked the ball past the
advancing Liverpool ‘keeper Simon Mignolet but had to watch agonisingly as the
ball trickled past the post.
The Liverpool midfield were
totally overpowered by the visitors and on 25 minutes Fabian Delph played a
pinpoint pass down the left to send Gabby Agbonlahor clear. The Villa paceman
turned Reds defender Kolo Toure inside out before firing the ball across the
six yard line where fellow striker Andreas Weimann poked home to silence The
Kop.
The away team doubled their lead
on 37 minutes with another counter attacking move which found Agbonlahor this
time on the right hand side. He whipped in a perfect cross which beat Toure and
Mignolet leaving Belgian striker Benteke with the simplest task of nodding the
ball into an empty net for his second goal in two matches.
The Villans were well worth their
lead and should have carried it into half time but a lapse of concentration
allowed the home team a first half lifeline.
Suarez picked the ball up on the
left and faked to shoot before passing to Jordan Henderson on the right side of
the area. His flick fell perfectly into the path of striker Daniel Sturridge
who made no mistake in poking the ball past Guzan's from 10 yards.
The goal less than a minute
before the break certainly changed the game and fired Brendan Rogers’ team up
at the restart. Their cause was further helped when Agbonlahor, easily the best
player on the park, was forced to limp off with an injury.
On 53 minutes a right cross from
Gerrard sent Suarez free on the left of the box. The Premiership’s leading
scorer nicked the ball past the advancing Guzan before dropping to the ground.
The American goalkeeper claimed he withdrew his hands but replays showed there
was some contact, albeit minimal. Despite protests from the Villa players,
referee Moss was certain it was a foul and pointed straight to the spot.
After the game Villa boss Paul
Lambert was adamant it was not a penalty but refused to accuse Suarez of
diving.
Reds manager Brendan Rogers also
batted away the accusations saying his team should have had a spot kick early
in the game when the ball appeared to hit Villa defender Leandro Bacuna on the
arm before going for a corner
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