Five star Liverpool demolish Aston Villa

Liverpool 5-0 Aston Villa ( Steven Gerrard*3 (2xpen), Albert Riera, Dirk Kuyt)

Liverpool celebrated manager Rafa Benitez’s new five year contract with a emphatic 5-0 win over Aston Villa that cuts Manchester United’s lead at the top of the table to just one goal.

Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool the lead in the 8th, lashing home from close range after Xabi Alonso’s header had hit the crossbar. Spanish winger Albert Riera volleyed home the second providing Pepe Reina with his second assist in as many games. Gerrard scored the third from the spot after Riera was fouled by Nigel Reo Coker.

Liverpool’s fourth came from a well taken set piece, with Gerrard cleverly exploiting a hole in the Villa defence to send the ball past a despairing Brad Friedel.

Friedel was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson for fouling Fernando Torres, and his understudy Brad Guzan was unable to stop Gerrard from converting the resulting penalty. It was Gerrard’s first Premier League hat trick at Anfield.

Villa were second best for most of the match, barring the little period between Liverpool’s first and second goals. Their best player on the night was Norwegian striker John Carew, who made Pepe Reina make a couple of good saves.

Fortunately for Villa, Everton lost to Portsmouth on Saturday, and that means their chances of qualifying for Europe are very much alive. O’Neill’s men face Manchester United next.