O'Leary left in a tight spot

Thus, predictably, did David O’Leary spin the tale of how Steve Bennett, the referee, changed the course of this game by, in his eyes, erroneously giving Liverpool a penalty in the 85th minute. “It was definitely not a penalty,” insisted O’Leary. “He (Bennett) couldn’t wait to give a decision to Liverpool, especially to their big-name players.” Rafael Benitez, happy with his team’s first away win in the Premiership this season, had another view. “If you’re on the bench, you say, ‘Penalty!’ The other manager, he says, ‘No’ . . . So I went to see the video before I make my discussion. It was a clear penalty.” And to the neutral? It looked like a penalty, Bennett unhesitatingly decided it was, and it at least justified the extra quality in the Liverpool team, and the introduction late in the game of Peter Crouch. In fact, he proved to be a handful around the midriff, for that was where Liam Ridgewell clearly had a hand around the shirt of Crouch, with the striker tumbling to the ground. A penalty was a reasonable decision. Steven Gerrard, the captain, thought only of one aspect as he prepared to take it: three points. “We have played well away from home and not got the points. We had to get them today,” he said. Emphatically, he sent Thomas Sorensen the wrong way and Liverpool were in front. Their performance might have been laboured, the second goal on the stroke of the final whistle driven in from the edge of the penalty area by Xabi Alonso may have added insult to perceived injustice, but there was no doubting that Liverpool had the talents, Villa mainly the industry. And with six defeats from seven games, this is not the form O’Leary needs with all the talk of prospective new owners in the Birmingham air. Liverpool’s initial line-up, featuring Gerrard as a right-winger, was actually the most impressive in their fluctuating afternoon. Gerrard prefers to be in central midfield, but he seems to play better out wide. Whenever Villa were roused, usually by Gavin McCann or Steven Davis, they ran into the best player on the pitch. For weeks now Jamie Carragher has looked like the rock of Liverpool’s defence. There was a period midway through the second half when Villa’s short spell of self-belief, rattled Liverpool. Juan Pablo Angel forced Jose Reina to save with his legs and Sami Hyypia made a fine block tackle, also on Angel. In the last quarter Benitez threw on Crouch, Boudewijin Zenden and Harry Kewell and the combination of Crouch and Zenden proved the master stroke. For the penalty Crouch delivered the ball to the left, Zenden returned it into the box, and Ridgewell grappled with the tall striker. When Alonso shot past Sorensen a minute from time, that overdue Liverpool away win was in the bag.