Gerrard remains confident

The 23-year-old England international, like most of his fellow Reds, looked far from his best as Liverpool struggled to a goaless draw at Aston Villa but he insists that his side will soon show the kind of form that is needed to mount a credible challenge for the Premiership title.

Gerrard, speaking to the club's official website, said: "We had a chances in the game, especially in the first half, and I’m sure when the lads sharpen up a bit the goals will come.

"The manager told us before the game that the most important thing was keeping a clean sheet and getting our defensive play back to normal.

"We know the goals will come – starting against Spurs on Wednesday. We’re looking for a win to set us up nicely for next week’s derby."