Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Liverpool hosted Aston Villa on Saturday in the third of their current four-match run of home games and finally found a win, beating Villa by 3-2.
James Milner took barely 60 seconds to open the scoring in the match, hitting a low effort into the bottom corner almost straight after kick-off. Liverpool then dominated the first half and had plenty of chances, but they couldn't find the second goal and almost conceded an equaliser through Rudy Gestede just before the break.
The second half saw a flurry of goals as Daniel Sturridge and Rudy Gestede twice traded strikes in a 12-minute spell, with the Reds eventually holding on for the win.
Here are all our winners and losers from the match at Anfield.
Winner: Alberto Moreno
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Back in the 3-5-2 variation, Liverpool's left side has a fantastic outlet once more in Alberto Moreno.
The Spaniard had been sidelined over the early stages of the season in favour of Joe Gomez, but Moreno's pace and drive, ability to pick a pass and cross in the final third means he's a natural fit for this system. He was Liverpool's most consistent out-ball in the first half.
Moreno often got beyond the Villa defence to good effect and helped Liverpool continue to play high up the field.
Twice he did great work in the opposite direction, sprinting back at least 40 yards to make perfectly timed interceptions or tackles on Villa's attackers, an equally vital aspect of his game.
Loser: Ashley Westwood
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As one of Villa's central midfielders tasked with closing out space in front of the defence, Ashley Westwood barely got near any of Liverpool's forwards in the first half, running around chasing fresh air instead. As the most technically able of the midfield trio, he would also have been expected to help launch counter-attacks.
Neither he nor any of his team mates were able to have any kind of impact in that regard for most of the match, struggling to get the ball moving with any forward momentum. His set pieces were also, for the most part, poorly delivered.
Westwood wasn't necessarily Villa's worst performer—the defence had plenty to worry about for starters—but he had an important tactical role to fill and he failed in that regard.
Winner: Daniel Sturridge
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He still isn't back to full sharpness, but the difference Daniel Sturridge makes to the Liverpool attack was hugely evident in the second half.
The English striker's composure inside the penalty box is unrivalled by his team-mates, and he can produce instinctive, unstoppable efforts from any angle with his willingness to hit first-time efforts—as shown by his first goal of the season.
A brace within a few minutes will lift his confidence incredibly, while his extended time on the pitch will also benefit him as he builds fitness following another lengthy spell out injured.
Winner: Lucas Leiva
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Either of Liverpool's Brazilian midfielders could have taken this slot, with Philippe Coutinho predictably important and excellent, but we'll give a nod to Lucas Leiva instead for a very impressive display.
Lucas continually broke play up as Villa tried to break out of their own half in the first 45 minutes, winning tackle after tackle to keep Liverpool playing high up the field.
In the second half, he did it more inside his own half of the pitch, stopping floods of counter-attacks getting through the centre and also covering Moreno down the left when the rapid Adama Traore came on.
One mark on his performance was Alan Hutton beating him for a cross that set up Gestede's first goal, but overall, Lucas put in a very important performance for his team.
Winner: Brendan Rodgers
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The first 45 minutes was by far Liverpool's most dominant of the season, which would have been a huge relief for Brendan Rodgers after some poor displays and results of late.
Reds' manager Rodgers saw his side have more than 70 percent possession, per EA Sports' live stats at half time, while the high pressing that has been absent for 12 months or more was certainly back as they stopped Villa leaving their own half at all for almost the entirety of the first period.
Sturridge's return to goals and Liverpool finding the net more than once, at last, were also huge plus points.
Most important of all for Rodgers was, of course, seeing out the game to take three points—a first win in seven for the manager.
