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Aston Villa's Ashley Young celebrates with James Milner - Source: Reuters -
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Liverpool lost for the second time in three Premier League
matches on Tuesday, slumping to a 3-1 home defeat by Aston
Villa.
An own goal by Lucas Leiva and a glancing header from Curtis Davies
gave Villa a 2-0 interval lead before Fernando Torres pulled one
back for Liverpool in the 72nd minute.
Any hopes of a storming comeback were shortlived as Steven Gerrard
rashly brought down midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and Ashley Young
beat keeper Pepe Reina from the penalty spot with 15 minutes
remaining.
With the season a week old Liverpool, runners-up to Manchester
United last season, have already lost as many matches as they did
in the whole of the previous campaign. It was also their first
league defeat at Anfield since December 2007.
"The first 20 minutes we were alright but an own goal and another
goal in (first half) extra time and then a penalty when I thought
we were playing better and pushing hard, there were too many things
against us," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez told BBC
radio.
Big Effort
Villa, who for much of last season looked capable of a top-four
finish before running out of steam, were booed off after losing to
Wigan Athletic at home last week but manager Martin O'Neill was
delighted with their response.
"We put a big effort into the match, we defended very strongly and
we broke. We are capable of scoring goals and we did that," he
said.
"I was staggered about what was going on (being booed). For us to
get the abuse we got at halftime against Wigan, I don't think it
was warranted."
Liverpool dominated early but fell behind after 34 minutes when
Young's free kick was headed into his own net by Lucas.
Worse was to follow on the stroke of halftime when Davies lost his
marker in the area to glance in a corner that Liverpool protested
should not have been awarded.
The home side piled on the pressure in the second half and Dirk
Kuyt hit the post with a header before Torres beat Villa keeper
Brad Friedel with a sharp finish.
Gerrard's rush of blood to the head completed a miserable night for
Liverpool as his tackle allowed Young to seal Villa's first league
win at Anfield for eight years.
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