Aston Villa vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Liverpool hammered a rather large nail into Aston Villa's Premier League coffin with a 6-0 win over their hosts at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Daniel Sturridge marked his first league start of 2016 with the opening goal for the Reds, who actually played in an all-white kit on Valentine's Day.
Ex-Aston Villa player James Milner added a second goal before the break. The midfielder's curling free-kick went beyond his team-mates, the home defence and goalkeeper Mark Bunn to find the back of the net.
However, if the first half was tough to watch for Villa fans, the second turned out be a horror show.
Liverpool added four more goals in the space of 13 minutes, starting with Emre Can's low drive from just outside the area.
Divock Origi made it 4-0 less than a minute after coming on as a substitute, while defenders Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure heaped further misery on the Premier League's bottom club.
Bleacher Report has picked out the winners (surprise: They're all from Liverpool's ranks) and losers from Sunday's one-sided fixture.
Winner: Daniel Sturridge
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Daniel Sturridge didn’t waste much time in showing just why he is so important to Liverpool.
After a cameo appearance off the bench in the FA Cup defeat to West Ham on Tuesday, the forward marked his first Premier League start since Oct. 4, 2015, with a goal inside 16 minutes.
Picked out perfectly by Philippe Coutinho’s curling cross from the left, Sturridge was somehow left alone by Villa’s defence, which allowed him to nod the visitors in front.
The England international played 62 minutes before making way for Divock Origi.
Jurgen Klopp was obviously delighted to have him back. The Reds boss said after the emphatic win, per Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo: "On the pitch it's really difficult to defend if he [Sturridge] is always somewhere and you don't know where he is on the pitch, and that's of course very important for us."
Loser: Micah Richards
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Prior to the game, Aston Villa's official Twitter feed posted a quote from Micah Richards: "The ideal scenario for any team is to win by playing attractive football. But at this stage we have to win at all costs."
The defender should have listened to his own advice—his desire to get forward too often left Villa exposed down their right.
Liverpool capitalised on the space, as journalist Tony Barrett of the Times pointed out on Twitter: "All of Liverpool's best attacks coming down their left. Micah Richards is playing right back."
Richards was far from the only problem area for the hosts, who conceded six goals at home in the Premier League for the first time, according to Squawka Football.
Aston Villa have a long time to try to work on their defensive problems—they do not play again until Feb. 27, when they visit Stoke City.
However, with just 12 games to go, it may be too late to plug holes in a sinking ship.
Winner: Philippe Coutinho
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Just like Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho was back in Liverpool's starting XI for a Premier League fixture after spending a spell on the sidelines.
The Brazilian marked his return from a hamstring injury with a goal from a free-kick in the FA Cup defeat to West Ham United on Tuesday.
While he didn't get on the scoresheet at Villa Park, he did provide two wonderful assists before being replaced after 66 minutes.
After his cross led to Sturridge scoring the visiting side's opener, Coutinho then produced a sublime pass with the outside of his right foot to set substitute Divock Origi clear to make it 4-0.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said in his post-match interview, per Mandeep Sanghera of BBC Sport: "It makes a difference having both Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge are on the pitch. You can only play them when they are fit and available."
Loser: Christian Benteke
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While Christian Benteke saw his current side record an emphatic victory, it cannot have made for easy viewing for the Belgian.
Benteke moved to Anfield from Aston Villa in the summer for a fee of £34.88 million, per Transfermarkt.
The forward has not found it easy to settle in at Liverpool, while his former club are in serious danger of suffering relegation to the Championship.
With Benteke watching on from the bench, a forward line featuring the pace of Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino ripped Villa to shreds.
Belgium international Divock Origi also impressed after coming on as a sub ahead of his compatriot.
Benteke did eventually get onto the field, replacing Firmino after 74 minutes. He received a nice ovation from the home fans who used to cheer him on, but the visiting faithful are still yet to be convinced.
Winner: Jurgen Klopp
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Liverpool arrived at Villa Park without a win in their last five outings in all competitions.
They had thrown away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home against relegation-threatened Sunderland in their last Premier League fixture.
However, the German had no such worries in the Midlands. Instead, he enjoyed a perfect afternoon at a venue where the Reds have now lost only once in their last 18 league visits.
Not only did Klopp's side score goals, and plenty of them, but they also kept their first clean sheet in the league in 2016.
Klopp said after the game, per James Carroll of Liverpool's official website: "It was a good game for us, a result for the soul, for the table, for our goal difference, so everything was good."
It was a result that also leaves the former Borussia Dortmund boss with plenty of food for thought ahead of a League Cup final against Manchester City on Feb. 28.
Loser: Remi Garde
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A 2-0 win over Norwich City in their last home game offered struggling Aston Villa a ray of light, but their outlook again looks gloomy after such a demoralising result.
Despite being bottom of the Premier League table, Remi Garde’s side actually began the game in better form than their opponents.
However, their display against Liverpool led to television pundit Jamie Carragher branding them an "embarrassment" on Sky Sports' coverage.
With Sunderland’s surprise 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday, rock-bottom Villa are now seven points away from their nearest rivals in the standings.
If Garde somehow keeps them up, he will have performed the kind of escape act that made David Copperfield famous.
The Frenchman said after the game, per PA Sport (h/t ESPN.co.uk): "I feel humiliation when you concede six goals at home without scoring. It's very painful. We don't have time to moan too much, we have to concentrate on the next game."
