Articles
Various reports from The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, The Guardian and PA
Liverpool stir and leave Villa well shaken
by Henry Winter of "The Daily Telegraph"
LIVERPOOL are definitely stirring. The increasingly dynamic Stan Collymore-Robbie Fowler axis swept the Reds of Merseyside into second place in the Premiership, both strikers scoring in this initially nervy, ultimately fulfilling victory at Villa Park, their first League success here for 12 seasons.
Third versus fifth, the Premiership's most potent attack versus the division's most parsimonious defence: it had all the makings of a fascinating encounter. Liverpool again took their time in settling, a brief foray by Steve McManaman apart. Villa, equally anxious to make ground on Newcastle, were quicker into their familiar stride, eager to build on a run of only two defeats in 17 outings.
Tommy Johnson, operating like McManaman in a free role behind the attack, was again impressive, proving the catalyst to a wonderful right-wing break after 10 minutes. Laying the ball back to Gary Charles, Johnson galloped clear in expectation of the return pass.
It duly arrived in magnificent fashion, delivered by the heel of Charles through Rob Jones' legs. Possession collected, Johnson sprinted into the box before cutting the ball back for the onrushing Mark Draper, who brought a fine reflex save from David James.
With both three-man defences dropping off, there was plenty of space for dribblers like McManaman and Dwight Yorke to exploit. Villa, buzzing throughout the first period, charged through the middle until Neil Ruddock was surprisingly ruled to have fouled Savo Milosevic. The Serb collapsed, clutching his face, but was soon fit enough to take the indirect free-kick, which he duly thumped into Liverpool's wall.
Slowly but surely, Liverpool began displaying the class that had swept them on a nine-game unbeaten run. After 26 minutes, John Barnes and McManaman sent Jason McAteer overlapping down the right. The wing-back's cross arrowed in towards Collymore, whose powerful header was somehow blocked by Mark Bosnich. As Jones slid in for the loose ball, Ugo Ehiogu cleared acrobatically. Always elegant, an end-to-end match kept producing opportunities for the inconsistent Milosevic, who volleyed over and had a shot blocked by Ruddock. Liverpool, though, were also finding their range with Collymore twice showing his ability to dispatch accurate shots from tight angles.
Collymore's partnership with Fowler has been productive of late, so it was no surprise to see Fowler scamper through in pursuit of his accomplice's pass. Fowler threatened with every step until he crashed against Villa's rock of ages, Paul McGrath.
After withstanding efforts from Yorke and Milosevic, Liverpool took control in the space of four minutes just after the hour. When Draper impeded McManaman out on the left, the excellent Barnes touched the ball to Collymore, who curled his 20-yarder around the onrushing Andy Townsend, putting so much swerve on the ball that Bosnich was completely wrong-footed.
Villa's keeper then clawed away another curler from Collymore before Liverpool's second arrived following a quick break, clinically finished. McAteer's clearance was neatly dummied by Fowler, allowing McManaman to carry the ball from his own half deep into opposing territory.
Fowler, having continued down the left, took the return pass and began to drift in. Suddenly seeing a gap, Liverpool's precocious poacher drove the ball through a thicket of players and between Bosnich and the far post.
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Liverpool put title chasers on red alert
by Rob Hughes of "The Times"
IMPRESSIVE, very impressive, are Liverpool. Last night, thanks to three minutes of penetrative finishing from their strikers, Collymore and Fowler, they won for the first time in a dozen seasons at Villa Park. Thus Liverpool are second in the FA Carling Premiership second and chasing, in case Newcastle United have an attack of nerves and lose their lead in the remaining 14 games.
"You'll never walk alone," sang the thin band of Liverpudlians among the 39,332 packed into the Midlands stronghold. Indeed, now that they are unbeaten in ten matches and now that they have summarily shown what they think of Villa's pretensions, Liverpool are closer than for some years to the beliefs, the control and the goalscoring power that made them so indomitable in English football.
For those who seemed to imply that Terry Venables is trying the impossible by experimenting with three-at-the-back foreign ways, let it be known that this fine encounter last night was between two teams that have been practising the ploy for two years. Both sides used the continental formation, with added English cut-and-thrust. Goalless the first half might have been, but far from guileless, far from dull indeed, it was a world-class save apiece from the goalkeepers and moments of outstanding individual defending that kept the scoreline barren.
After five minutes, for example, Charles had inventively turned and driven in an angled ball, but James stood above Yorke to fist the ball to safety. Then McManaman, running at and through the Villa rearguard, invited Bosnich to display his agility; the shot rose fiercely, but the Australian goalkeeper anticipated it and reacted to beat it away.
One chance apiece and, showing the equality between two sides so well rebuilt by the managers, Brian Little, of Villa, and Roy Evans within the past two seasons, there was an almost identical measure of defenders denying forwards. McManaman tried to run through McGrath; Milosevic attempted the same against Ruddock . . . how dare they? The results were predictable, the two strongmen of Premiership defending coming out with the ball and doubtless leaving a bruise on the attackers.
Yet it was not at all a bludgeoning night. Charles, with a sublime back-heel, released Johnson down to the right touchline in the tenth minute. Johnson caught the ball, swivelled and delivered a peach of a pass for Draper. Again it called for goalkeeping extremes, again James was athletic, reaching to deflect the shot round the base of a post.
McManaman and Milosevic both went free, both finished compulsively and shot wide, but the rhythm that Liverpool command with their passing game was seen after 25 minutes. No one in the British game, and on frozen fields, can switch the point of play like Barnes. He did it from left to right, McAteer surged forward, crossed on the run and big Stan Collymore was on the end of it. He was denied, inevitably, by Bosnich, the goalkeeper emulating the 1970 save of Gordon Banks against Pelé, reaching down with agility and astonishing timing to scoop the ball up and away.
It was Liverpool who showed the touch of the half-time talk, the need to win, especially away from home, where before last night they had only three victories. They sacrificed some of the smoothness of their first-half passing and ran with vivacious intent at the best defence in the Premiership. Although this allowed Johnson to shrug aside Thomas and to prompt Yorke to narrowly miss the target, eventually the game opened up for Liverpool.
Just after the hour, Draper fouled McManaman to the left of the Villa penalty box. Barnes nonchalantly rolled the ball to the side and Collymore smote it with such venom that Bosnich lost the flight of it. The goalkeeper swayed to his left, had to readjust, but could only parry the ball right-handed across his line. Seconds later, the same goalkeeper, from the same right foot of Collymore, had to twist in mid-air, a human corkscrew, to palm the ball over the crossbar.
The respite was short-lived. In the 65th minute, Liverpool flowed the length of the field. The Mersey tide passed from Ruddock to McAteer to McManaman and then the young master, Fowler, quiet on the night, claimed his 24th goal of the season.
He received the ball nearly 30 yards out, yet, with audacious determination, he used his left foot to curl it and deposit it low past the right hand of Bosnich and inside the far post.
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Fowler breaches Villa's defences
by Phil Shaw of "The Independent"
Two strikers on a hot streak swept Liverpool into second place in the Premiership on a freezing night at Villa Park. Stan Collymore, with his 10th goal of the season, knocked Aston Villa out of their stride in the second half, and Robbie Fowler's 24th may just have sent a chill through Tyneside.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in ten games, in the course of which the Collymore-Fowler partnership has amassed 19 goals. Mark Bosnich will not reflect on his attempts to stop either goal last night with any satisfaction.
Quite apart from the game's implications in terms of league placings, there was a fascinating sub-plot which pitted the division's meanest defence against its most prolific scorers. The fact that the two clubs have achieved such disparate results using essentially similar systems - most notably, the three-man defence - added to the sense of anticipation among a capacity crowd.
The early signs were that they would not be disappointed, with Villa seemingly intent on demonstrating that their relatively poor strike rate does not mean they are in any way negative. First, though, they were enforced to endure a scare as Steve McManaman embarked upon a characteristic run at the heart of their defence with less than 10 minutes played.
The England winger held off a challenge from Gareth Southgate to shoot from an angle, only for Bosnich to parry the ball to safety. As if stunned into a response, Villa surged upfield and almost took the lead themselves. Gary Charles' back-heeled pass released Tommy Johnson, who easily outpaced Neil Ruddock before cutting the ball back to Mark Draper. His drive, from eight yards, brought the best out of David James.
Savo Milosevic was his usual infuriating blend of the brilliant and the banal, producing in rapid succession a drag-back to die for and a shot that was more threatening to the corner flag than James' goal. Sheffield United supporters, who pelted him with snowballs after the theatrical tumble which earned Villa's penalty winner on Sunday, will not be surprised to learn that Milosevic fell in equally melodramatic fashion after minimal contact with Ruddock mid-way through the first half.
While Villa were dominating territorially at that point, and Liverpool content to hit on the break, it was the visitors who came closer to scoring. Jason McAteer's right-wing cross found the forehead of Collymore, a Villa fan in his youth, barely six yards out. It looked a certain goal, but Bosnich clawed the ball aside and Ugo Ehiogu completed the clearance.
At times the sides seemed almost too evenly matched, with well constructed moves foundering on rigorous defending and agile goalkeeping. Until the half-way point in the second half, Liverpool looked the more likely to make an unforced error.
One, an under-hit back-pass by McAteer, saw James leaving his area to play sweeper. But from another, a loose pass by Michael Thomas, Milosevic tried an audacious chip shot which the back-pedalling keeper caught under his crossbar.
It was therefore not without irony that an injudicious challenge by Draper on McManaman led to Liverpool opening the scoring shortly after the hour. From the angle of the 18-yard area, John Barnes rolled the ball short to Collymore, whose swerving drive dissected the defensive wall and deceived Bosnich into plunging the wrong way.
Collymore, from identical range, immediately brought a marvellous fingertip save from Bosnich, but the Villa keeper was badly at fault as Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 65th minute. A retreating defence encouraged Fowler to try his luck from 25 yards, though he must have been as surprised as anyone when Bosnich misjudged his dive and was beaten by a relatively innocuous effort.
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Liverpool stay in the hunt
by David Lacey of "The Guardian"
The championship is still Newcastle's to lose, but St James' Park cannot enjoy quiet slumbers just yet. If nothing else, the quality of Liverpool's football at Villa Park last night should have warned Kevin Keegan's players against complacency.
After an hour of absorbing play, two goals in five minutes from, almost inevitably, Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler brought Liverpool the win they needed to go back above Manchester United into second place in the Premiership. Aston Villa had their chances but their attack possessed nothing like Liverpool's cutting edge and that, in the end, was the crucial difference.
Unless Newcastle do a Devon Loch and fall at a phantom hurdle, teams such as Liverpool and United will be playing for the silver medal this season, and the assurance of a Uefa Cup place.
Yet, having taken 21 points from a possible 27, Liverpool are looking more like the Anfield teams of old, who invariably saved their best for the new year. Liverpool, like United who are only behind them on goal difference, may be nine points adrift of Newcastle but they have come from further behind to win the title before.
Their present run owes much to the burgeoning partnership of Fowler and Collymore, who between them have scored 19 times in 10 games. Had it not been for the agility of Bosnich Liverpool would have won by more, though the Australian was at fault with the second goal.
There was an attractive contrast, if not in formations then certainly in styles. Both teams employ three centre-backs but whereas Villa like to strike swiftly from a coiled defensive spring, Liverpool prefer to unwind with more stealth and a greater emphasis on not giving the ball away. Once their passing had found its true rhythm, after another untidy start, they always looked likely winners.
The ability of McManaman, with his spindly, slightly hunched gait, to take on defenders was evident from the start. Increasingly Barnes kept a gloved hand on the game's ebb and flow. McAteer was a growing influence on Liverpool's right and once Collymore and Fowler had established firm lines of communication Villa Park suspected the worst.
Early on Villa's more urgent approach carried them through the midfield and down the flanks. Milosevic's studious control and Yorke's quick turns promised Villa a goal and James did well to turn aside a shot from Draper, but in the 26th minute Liverpool did everything right except score and the moment proved portentous.
McAteer's first time cross found Collymore heading hard for goal. Bosnich saved superbly and before Jones could score from the rebound Ehiogu lunged across him to whip the ball clear. Villa achieved nothing so clear-cut.
Slowly, Liverpool's patient, possesive passing game was gaining the upper hand. Villa were still a threat on the break, and early in the second half Yorke met a centre from Johnson with a mid-air volley which rocketed past the post. But if Villa still had the passion, Liverpool had much more of the possession.
A minute past the hour they began to enjoy the prospect of victory. Villa gave away two free kicks in quick succession near their penalty area and from the second Barnes teed the ball up for Collymore. Bosnich, partly unsighted, was deceived by the late swerve of Collymore's shot and ended up going the wrong way.
Two minutes later the Villa goalkeeper tipped away another shot from Collymore, this one heading for the top far corner, but after another couple of minutes Liverpool scored again. Fowler stepped over a pass from McAteer, allowing it to run to McManaman, then sprinted on to meet McManaman's pass before sending an accurate but stoppable shot bobbling past Bosnich from 25 yards.
This was Liverpool's first win at Villa Park for 12 seasons and it ended a run of four successive Villa victories in this fixture. As to the true significance of the result, that will depend largely on Newcastle and what they will make of a March programme which starts with Manchester United at home and ends with Liverpool away.
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Dynamic duo strike down Villa
by Bill Pierce of "Press Association"
Dynamic goal-duo Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler struck again as Liverpool booked their dream ticket to ride in Newcastle's slipstream all the way up the finishing straight in the Premiership title race.
In four devastating second-half minutes, Collymore and Fowler both struck gold once more to end Aston Villa's recent run of rich form and extend the Merseysider's own unbeaten sequence to 10 matches.
Anfield's deadly strikeforce have now amassed 18 goals between them in that splendid run of results and Liverpool have now climbed above Manchester United to second place in the table.
Villa, all fire and brimstone, again showed what their revival under manager Brian Little this season has been all about.
At times, they stretched Liverpool to the limit with their aggressive, jet-paced, attacking football but Liverpool showed a steely determination to pass their way out of pockets of pressure and trouble and their attitude was suitably rewarded in the end.
Collymore, who had seen a point-blank header incredibly saved by keeper Mark Bosnich in the first half, finally made the crucial breakthrough just after the hour with a stunning strike, his 10th goal of the season, which left the Villa keeper bewildered and bemused.
The £8.5 million record buy dug his left foot into a short free-kick by John Barnes and it bent and swerved from the corner of the penalty box, entering the net down the middle of the goal with Bosnich diving away from it.
That strike choked the jeers of the Villa fans back down their throats after Collymore had spectacularly wasted two earlier opportunities.
And within four minutes the home supporters were silenced completely when Fowler let fly with a piece of pure speculation from 30 yards and saw the ball bounce past the hapless Bosnich to go in by the foot of the far post for his 24th goal of the season.
Defeat was tough on Villa who made the Merseysiders sweat buckets for their success. Trinidad and Tobago star Dwight Yorke and Serbian strike partner Savo Milosevic served up a foreign cocktail of threats as they persistently probed at Liverpool's back five.
Yorke was just off target with a lunging drive at Tommy Johnson's cross early in the second half and Milosevic almost lobbed goalkeeper David James from 25 yards after latching onto a faulty clearance.
The Liverpool goalkeeper needed every centimetre of his 6ft 5in to pluck the ball out from under the crossbar.
But, just when Villa looked ready to join the chasing pack now nine points behind leaders Newcastle, Collymore and Fowler struck in quick succession to stun a best-of-the-season crowd of 39,332.
Even then, Villa threatened to come back with all-action centre-back Ugo Ehiogu going forward to put a pair of efforts over the crossbar from promising positions.
With Villa totally committed to attack, the elusive Steve McManaman had the chance to punish them again but he dragged his shot wide at the end of a fast break which turned defender Alan Wright inside out.
by Henry Winter of "The Daily Telegraph"
LIVERPOOL are definitely stirring. The increasingly dynamic Stan Collymore-Robbie Fowler axis swept the Reds of Merseyside into second place in the Premiership, both strikers scoring in this initially nervy, ultimately fulfilling victory at Villa Park, their first League success here for 12 seasons.
Third versus fifth, the Premiership's most potent attack versus the division's most parsimonious defence: it had all the makings of a fascinating encounter. Liverpool again took their time in settling, a brief foray by Steve McManaman apart. Villa, equally anxious to make ground on Newcastle, were quicker into their familiar stride, eager to build on a run of only two defeats in 17 outings.
Tommy Johnson, operating like McManaman in a free role behind the attack, was again impressive, proving the catalyst to a wonderful right-wing break after 10 minutes. Laying the ball back to Gary Charles, Johnson galloped clear in expectation of the return pass.
It duly arrived in magnificent fashion, delivered by the heel of Charles through Rob Jones' legs. Possession collected, Johnson sprinted into the box before cutting the ball back for the onrushing Mark Draper, who brought a fine reflex save from David James.
With both three-man defences dropping off, there was plenty of space for dribblers like McManaman and Dwight Yorke to exploit. Villa, buzzing throughout the first period, charged through the middle until Neil Ruddock was surprisingly ruled to have fouled Savo Milosevic. The Serb collapsed, clutching his face, but was soon fit enough to take the indirect free-kick, which he duly thumped into Liverpool's wall.
Slowly but surely, Liverpool began displaying the class that had swept them on a nine-game unbeaten run. After 26 minutes, John Barnes and McManaman sent Jason McAteer overlapping down the right. The wing-back's cross arrowed in towards Collymore, whose powerful header was somehow blocked by Mark Bosnich. As Jones slid in for the loose ball, Ugo Ehiogu cleared acrobatically. Always elegant, an end-to-end match kept producing opportunities for the inconsistent Milosevic, who volleyed over and had a shot blocked by Ruddock. Liverpool, though, were also finding their range with Collymore twice showing his ability to dispatch accurate shots from tight angles.
Collymore's partnership with Fowler has been productive of late, so it was no surprise to see Fowler scamper through in pursuit of his accomplice's pass. Fowler threatened with every step until he crashed against Villa's rock of ages, Paul McGrath.
After withstanding efforts from Yorke and Milosevic, Liverpool took control in the space of four minutes just after the hour. When Draper impeded McManaman out on the left, the excellent Barnes touched the ball to Collymore, who curled his 20-yarder around the onrushing Andy Townsend, putting so much swerve on the ball that Bosnich was completely wrong-footed.
Villa's keeper then clawed away another curler from Collymore before Liverpool's second arrived following a quick break, clinically finished. McAteer's clearance was neatly dummied by Fowler, allowing McManaman to carry the ball from his own half deep into opposing territory.
Fowler, having continued down the left, took the return pass and began to drift in. Suddenly seeing a gap, Liverpool's precocious poacher drove the ball through a thicket of players and between Bosnich and the far post.
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Liverpool put title chasers on red alert
by Rob Hughes of "The Times"
IMPRESSIVE, very impressive, are Liverpool. Last night, thanks to three minutes of penetrative finishing from their strikers, Collymore and Fowler, they won for the first time in a dozen seasons at Villa Park. Thus Liverpool are second in the FA Carling Premiership second and chasing, in case Newcastle United have an attack of nerves and lose their lead in the remaining 14 games.
"You'll never walk alone," sang the thin band of Liverpudlians among the 39,332 packed into the Midlands stronghold. Indeed, now that they are unbeaten in ten matches and now that they have summarily shown what they think of Villa's pretensions, Liverpool are closer than for some years to the beliefs, the control and the goalscoring power that made them so indomitable in English football.
For those who seemed to imply that Terry Venables is trying the impossible by experimenting with three-at-the-back foreign ways, let it be known that this fine encounter last night was between two teams that have been practising the ploy for two years. Both sides used the continental formation, with added English cut-and-thrust. Goalless the first half might have been, but far from guileless, far from dull indeed, it was a world-class save apiece from the goalkeepers and moments of outstanding individual defending that kept the scoreline barren.
After five minutes, for example, Charles had inventively turned and driven in an angled ball, but James stood above Yorke to fist the ball to safety. Then McManaman, running at and through the Villa rearguard, invited Bosnich to display his agility; the shot rose fiercely, but the Australian goalkeeper anticipated it and reacted to beat it away.
One chance apiece and, showing the equality between two sides so well rebuilt by the managers, Brian Little, of Villa, and Roy Evans within the past two seasons, there was an almost identical measure of defenders denying forwards. McManaman tried to run through McGrath; Milosevic attempted the same against Ruddock . . . how dare they? The results were predictable, the two strongmen of Premiership defending coming out with the ball and doubtless leaving a bruise on the attackers.
Yet it was not at all a bludgeoning night. Charles, with a sublime back-heel, released Johnson down to the right touchline in the tenth minute. Johnson caught the ball, swivelled and delivered a peach of a pass for Draper. Again it called for goalkeeping extremes, again James was athletic, reaching to deflect the shot round the base of a post.
McManaman and Milosevic both went free, both finished compulsively and shot wide, but the rhythm that Liverpool command with their passing game was seen after 25 minutes. No one in the British game, and on frozen fields, can switch the point of play like Barnes. He did it from left to right, McAteer surged forward, crossed on the run and big Stan Collymore was on the end of it. He was denied, inevitably, by Bosnich, the goalkeeper emulating the 1970 save of Gordon Banks against Pelé, reaching down with agility and astonishing timing to scoop the ball up and away.
It was Liverpool who showed the touch of the half-time talk, the need to win, especially away from home, where before last night they had only three victories. They sacrificed some of the smoothness of their first-half passing and ran with vivacious intent at the best defence in the Premiership. Although this allowed Johnson to shrug aside Thomas and to prompt Yorke to narrowly miss the target, eventually the game opened up for Liverpool.
Just after the hour, Draper fouled McManaman to the left of the Villa penalty box. Barnes nonchalantly rolled the ball to the side and Collymore smote it with such venom that Bosnich lost the flight of it. The goalkeeper swayed to his left, had to readjust, but could only parry the ball right-handed across his line. Seconds later, the same goalkeeper, from the same right foot of Collymore, had to twist in mid-air, a human corkscrew, to palm the ball over the crossbar.
The respite was short-lived. In the 65th minute, Liverpool flowed the length of the field. The Mersey tide passed from Ruddock to McAteer to McManaman and then the young master, Fowler, quiet on the night, claimed his 24th goal of the season.
He received the ball nearly 30 yards out, yet, with audacious determination, he used his left foot to curl it and deposit it low past the right hand of Bosnich and inside the far post.
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Fowler breaches Villa's defences
by Phil Shaw of "The Independent"
Two strikers on a hot streak swept Liverpool into second place in the Premiership on a freezing night at Villa Park. Stan Collymore, with his 10th goal of the season, knocked Aston Villa out of their stride in the second half, and Robbie Fowler's 24th may just have sent a chill through Tyneside.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in ten games, in the course of which the Collymore-Fowler partnership has amassed 19 goals. Mark Bosnich will not reflect on his attempts to stop either goal last night with any satisfaction.
Quite apart from the game's implications in terms of league placings, there was a fascinating sub-plot which pitted the division's meanest defence against its most prolific scorers. The fact that the two clubs have achieved such disparate results using essentially similar systems - most notably, the three-man defence - added to the sense of anticipation among a capacity crowd.
The early signs were that they would not be disappointed, with Villa seemingly intent on demonstrating that their relatively poor strike rate does not mean they are in any way negative. First, though, they were enforced to endure a scare as Steve McManaman embarked upon a characteristic run at the heart of their defence with less than 10 minutes played.
The England winger held off a challenge from Gareth Southgate to shoot from an angle, only for Bosnich to parry the ball to safety. As if stunned into a response, Villa surged upfield and almost took the lead themselves. Gary Charles' back-heeled pass released Tommy Johnson, who easily outpaced Neil Ruddock before cutting the ball back to Mark Draper. His drive, from eight yards, brought the best out of David James.
Savo Milosevic was his usual infuriating blend of the brilliant and the banal, producing in rapid succession a drag-back to die for and a shot that was more threatening to the corner flag than James' goal. Sheffield United supporters, who pelted him with snowballs after the theatrical tumble which earned Villa's penalty winner on Sunday, will not be surprised to learn that Milosevic fell in equally melodramatic fashion after minimal contact with Ruddock mid-way through the first half.
While Villa were dominating territorially at that point, and Liverpool content to hit on the break, it was the visitors who came closer to scoring. Jason McAteer's right-wing cross found the forehead of Collymore, a Villa fan in his youth, barely six yards out. It looked a certain goal, but Bosnich clawed the ball aside and Ugo Ehiogu completed the clearance.
At times the sides seemed almost too evenly matched, with well constructed moves foundering on rigorous defending and agile goalkeeping. Until the half-way point in the second half, Liverpool looked the more likely to make an unforced error.
One, an under-hit back-pass by McAteer, saw James leaving his area to play sweeper. But from another, a loose pass by Michael Thomas, Milosevic tried an audacious chip shot which the back-pedalling keeper caught under his crossbar.
It was therefore not without irony that an injudicious challenge by Draper on McManaman led to Liverpool opening the scoring shortly after the hour. From the angle of the 18-yard area, John Barnes rolled the ball short to Collymore, whose swerving drive dissected the defensive wall and deceived Bosnich into plunging the wrong way.
Collymore, from identical range, immediately brought a marvellous fingertip save from Bosnich, but the Villa keeper was badly at fault as Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 65th minute. A retreating defence encouraged Fowler to try his luck from 25 yards, though he must have been as surprised as anyone when Bosnich misjudged his dive and was beaten by a relatively innocuous effort.
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Liverpool stay in the hunt
by David Lacey of "The Guardian"
The championship is still Newcastle's to lose, but St James' Park cannot enjoy quiet slumbers just yet. If nothing else, the quality of Liverpool's football at Villa Park last night should have warned Kevin Keegan's players against complacency.
After an hour of absorbing play, two goals in five minutes from, almost inevitably, Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler brought Liverpool the win they needed to go back above Manchester United into second place in the Premiership. Aston Villa had their chances but their attack possessed nothing like Liverpool's cutting edge and that, in the end, was the crucial difference.
Unless Newcastle do a Devon Loch and fall at a phantom hurdle, teams such as Liverpool and United will be playing for the silver medal this season, and the assurance of a Uefa Cup place.
Yet, having taken 21 points from a possible 27, Liverpool are looking more like the Anfield teams of old, who invariably saved their best for the new year. Liverpool, like United who are only behind them on goal difference, may be nine points adrift of Newcastle but they have come from further behind to win the title before.
Their present run owes much to the burgeoning partnership of Fowler and Collymore, who between them have scored 19 times in 10 games. Had it not been for the agility of Bosnich Liverpool would have won by more, though the Australian was at fault with the second goal.
There was an attractive contrast, if not in formations then certainly in styles. Both teams employ three centre-backs but whereas Villa like to strike swiftly from a coiled defensive spring, Liverpool prefer to unwind with more stealth and a greater emphasis on not giving the ball away. Once their passing had found its true rhythm, after another untidy start, they always looked likely winners.
The ability of McManaman, with his spindly, slightly hunched gait, to take on defenders was evident from the start. Increasingly Barnes kept a gloved hand on the game's ebb and flow. McAteer was a growing influence on Liverpool's right and once Collymore and Fowler had established firm lines of communication Villa Park suspected the worst.
Early on Villa's more urgent approach carried them through the midfield and down the flanks. Milosevic's studious control and Yorke's quick turns promised Villa a goal and James did well to turn aside a shot from Draper, but in the 26th minute Liverpool did everything right except score and the moment proved portentous.
McAteer's first time cross found Collymore heading hard for goal. Bosnich saved superbly and before Jones could score from the rebound Ehiogu lunged across him to whip the ball clear. Villa achieved nothing so clear-cut.
Slowly, Liverpool's patient, possesive passing game was gaining the upper hand. Villa were still a threat on the break, and early in the second half Yorke met a centre from Johnson with a mid-air volley which rocketed past the post. But if Villa still had the passion, Liverpool had much more of the possession.
A minute past the hour they began to enjoy the prospect of victory. Villa gave away two free kicks in quick succession near their penalty area and from the second Barnes teed the ball up for Collymore. Bosnich, partly unsighted, was deceived by the late swerve of Collymore's shot and ended up going the wrong way.
Two minutes later the Villa goalkeeper tipped away another shot from Collymore, this one heading for the top far corner, but after another couple of minutes Liverpool scored again. Fowler stepped over a pass from McAteer, allowing it to run to McManaman, then sprinted on to meet McManaman's pass before sending an accurate but stoppable shot bobbling past Bosnich from 25 yards.
This was Liverpool's first win at Villa Park for 12 seasons and it ended a run of four successive Villa victories in this fixture. As to the true significance of the result, that will depend largely on Newcastle and what they will make of a March programme which starts with Manchester United at home and ends with Liverpool away.
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Dynamic duo strike down Villa
by Bill Pierce of "Press Association"
Dynamic goal-duo Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler struck again as Liverpool booked their dream ticket to ride in Newcastle's slipstream all the way up the finishing straight in the Premiership title race.
In four devastating second-half minutes, Collymore and Fowler both struck gold once more to end Aston Villa's recent run of rich form and extend the Merseysider's own unbeaten sequence to 10 matches.
Anfield's deadly strikeforce have now amassed 18 goals between them in that splendid run of results and Liverpool have now climbed above Manchester United to second place in the table.
Villa, all fire and brimstone, again showed what their revival under manager Brian Little this season has been all about.
At times, they stretched Liverpool to the limit with their aggressive, jet-paced, attacking football but Liverpool showed a steely determination to pass their way out of pockets of pressure and trouble and their attitude was suitably rewarded in the end.
Collymore, who had seen a point-blank header incredibly saved by keeper Mark Bosnich in the first half, finally made the crucial breakthrough just after the hour with a stunning strike, his 10th goal of the season, which left the Villa keeper bewildered and bemused.
The £8.5 million record buy dug his left foot into a short free-kick by John Barnes and it bent and swerved from the corner of the penalty box, entering the net down the middle of the goal with Bosnich diving away from it.
That strike choked the jeers of the Villa fans back down their throats after Collymore had spectacularly wasted two earlier opportunities.
And within four minutes the home supporters were silenced completely when Fowler let fly with a piece of pure speculation from 30 yards and saw the ball bounce past the hapless Bosnich to go in by the foot of the far post for his 24th goal of the season.
Defeat was tough on Villa who made the Merseysiders sweat buckets for their success. Trinidad and Tobago star Dwight Yorke and Serbian strike partner Savo Milosevic served up a foreign cocktail of threats as they persistently probed at Liverpool's back five.
Yorke was just off target with a lunging drive at Tommy Johnson's cross early in the second half and Milosevic almost lobbed goalkeeper David James from 25 yards after latching onto a faulty clearance.
The Liverpool goalkeeper needed every centimetre of his 6ft 5in to pluck the ball out from under the crossbar.
But, just when Villa looked ready to join the chasing pack now nine points behind leaders Newcastle, Collymore and Fowler struck in quick succession to stun a best-of-the-season crowd of 39,332.
Even then, Villa threatened to come back with all-action centre-back Ugo Ehiogu going forward to put a pair of efforts over the crossbar from promising positions.
With Villa totally committed to attack, the elusive Steve McManaman had the chance to punish them again but he dragged his shot wide at the end of a fast break which turned defender Alan Wright inside out.
