Liverpool played to a backdrop of fans walking out in their thousands for the second Premier League game in succession but it was not inflated ticket prices that prompted the exodus but the sheer ineptitude of Aston Villa. No easy games in the Premier League? Nonsense. Remi Garde’s basement club surrendered on home soil and Liverpool ruthlessly took advantage.
A side supposedly fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table rolled over and died, leaving despairing Villa supporters to vent their anger towards owner Randy Lerner in the directors’ box while his manager looked on helpless and aghast from his seat in the dugout. Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring on his first Premier League start under Jürgen Klopp, James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Touré all followed. Six different goalscorers and a multitude of faults for Garde to correct. No spine, no spirit and no quality. There is no way back for Villa on this evidence.
The defensive flaws that are ushering the club towards the Championship were exposed quickly, and under minimal pressure, as Liverpool established a comfortable lead without truly exerting themselves. The lack of leadership in the home ranks after Sturridge and Milner scored must have worried Garde almost as much as the feeble resistance that met two punishing crosses from the Liverpool left.
Sturridge marked his first league start since the Merseyside derby on 4 October, Brendan Rodgers’ last stand as manager, by confirming his instinct has not been diminished by prolonged spells in the treatment room. The England international opened the scoring with a finish made simple by his intelligent movement. Liverpool worked the ball out to Philippe Coutinho on the left and when his in-swinging centre dropped between the static Joleon Lescott and Aly Cissokho the unmarked striker steered a header inside Mark Bunn’s near post. Lescott berated Cissokho for losing the run of Sturridge.
Abdicating responsibility was a feature of the Villa performance.
The visitors’ second came gift-wrapped nine minutes later. The cumbersome Jores Okore dispossessed Coutinho before conceding a needless free-kick with a slight push on the Brazilian. Milner swept in the set-piece from a similar position to Coutinho’s cross for the opener, Lescott, Okore and Mamadou Sakho leapt to meet it, all three missed and the ball sailed beyond Bunn into the far corner. Milner looked suitably abashed as he celebrated scoring against his former club.
Villa’s play deteriorated rapidly thereafter with a procession of half-hearted challenges and basic errors prompting despair among the suffering home support. Jordan Henderson went close to a third after the influential Roberto Firmino combined with Milner, but the captain’s close-range effort was deflected just wide by Okore. That was possibly the defender’s one positive contribution to the entire game. Alberto Moreno and Sturridge both forced saves from Bunn before the interval as Liverpool strolled forward at will in the absence of any meaningful opposition.
Divock Origi is mobbed by Liverpool fans after scoring his team’s fourth goal at Villa Park. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images
The sum total of Villa’s threat on the Liverpool goal before half-time was a wayward Ashley Westwood volley from distance. Garde’s team were abysmal.
Once Gabriel Agbonlahor departed thanks to injury early in the second half, taking any semblance of attacking intent with him, they threw shambolic into the mix for good measure. Four Liverpool goals in 13 minutes provided an accurate gauge of the calamity that unfolded.
Number three arrived courtesy of the pedestrian Micah Richards. The Villa captain was easily dispossessed by Emre Can, who continued his run as Firmino drove towards the heart of the home defence before squaring for the German midfielder who found the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Number four arrived from Divock Origi’s first touch after replacing Sturridge. Once again Villa lost possession, this time to Firmino deep inside the Liverpool half. Coutinho swept a glorious pass down the left flank and around Okore where the Belgium international raced forwards before beating Bunn convincingly.
Two minutes later came number five, Nathianel Clyne breaking clear of Jordan Veretout inside the area and converting his first Liverpool goal at the second attempt after the Villa goalkeeper had blocked from the defender and Origi. Number six was appalling from a Villa perspective and a moment of sheer joy for Kolo Touré. The Liverpool central defender was stood still and unmarked as Henderson swept a corner over from the right. Touré did not have to move to head beyond Bunn for 12 yards.