Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 2 - analysis

If Alex McLeish needs some bedtime reading then he might find the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol strikes a chord heading into the festive period.

Certainly Villa were visited by three ghosts when Liverpool visited Villa Park yesterday and each brought their own significant message for anyone of a claret and blue persuasion.

The ghost of Christmas past came in the form of Villa's vulnerabilities from set-pieces which was so cruelly exposed by Liverpool that the visitors did not even have to break sweat for the rest of this contest, having scored twice from corners.

Last season Villa were consistently undermined by their failure to defend such situations and the problem is fast turning from a slight illness into an epidemic.

McLeish was renowned for his ability as a manager at making his sides hard to beat. As a no-nonsense centre-back he was heralded as the man who had solved the problem of Villa's leaky defence at the beginning of the season. So there needs to be an urgent assessment and some long hours put in the training ground to correct the problem.

In Richard Dunne and James Collins the claret and blues, on paper at least, possess two players who should have this aspect of defending down to a tee. Yet on two occasions both players were found wanting.

Liverpool winger Stewart Downing was the ghost of Christmas present as he made his return to Villa Park, and was roundly booed every time he touched the ball.

But not only did he put in a shift on the pitch for the visitors, he also served as a stark reminder of just how the club have fallen down the pecking order of desirable destinations for top Premier League players and the lack of creative quality.

However, it is the ghost of Christmas future which will be most pertinent issue for Villa fans. A glance at the bench against Liverpool serves as a stark warning for the remainder of the season, and beyond.

Graham Burke and Daniel Johnson may be promising youth-team prospects in their own right but neither has kicked a ball in anger for the club's first-team.

It ultimately demonstrates just how thin resources are at the club and unless Randy Lerner dips into his pocket during the transfer window, then it is hard to predict anything but tough times ahead.

McLeish made three enforced changes from the side which won 2-1 at Bolton as Darren Bent and Chris Herd missed out through injury while Gabby Agbonlahor was suspended, so in came Nathan Delfouneso, Fabian Delph and Emile Heskey.

Liverpool's dominance from kick-off was clear and they took the lead in the 11th- minute as Villa continued their unhealthy habit of conceding goals from set-piece situations.

Downing delivered a low, inswinging corner which was flicked on by Jonjo Shelvey who set up Luis Suarez but Brad Guzan could only block the Uruguay international's cheeky back-heel.

Collins missed the opportunity to clear the loose ball and Wales compatriot Craig Bellamy was on hand to stab it home from inside the six-yard box.

Liverpool doubled their lead from another flag-kick four minutes later when Bellamy whipped in a vicious inswinging delivery and Martin Skrtel used his strength to outmuscle

Alan Hutton after losing marker Dunne to glance a header past hapless Guzan.

Villa's lack of conviction going forward was plain but there were brief moments of encouragement when Charles N'Zogbia shot from distance and also hit the side netting.

However, that was probably as good as it got for the home side.

Liverpool should have added a third shortly after the half-time break when Suarez outfoxed Dunne and Collins but saw his shot crash back off the crossbar and then hit the post with a delicious chip after controlling a fine sweeping ball from Downing.

Glen Johnson forced Guzan to make a fine save with a drive from distance after Stephen Warnock had given the ball away and the American keeper was called into action again shortly after when he blocked Shelvey's shot after he had been put through by Suarez.

Liverpool continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack as the second half wore on and appeared to settle for the two-goal margin which partially allowed Villa back into the game. But save for a few dangerous set-pieces into the box – which were dealt with by Pepe Reina – Villa's toothless attack rarely troubled the Liverpool defence.

Of course there is a happy ending to Dickens' novel for Tiny Tim et al – whether the same will happen with Villa remains to be seen.

By Timothy Abraham