EPL: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Originally Posted by Sven

No wonder people like Gerrard just put him on pitch he can ask for a free kick when he choses fit.

Like the ref don't favourite United and Chelsea also...

[Sven]

Gerrard is in a different league, he just has to wave his hand give a face of displeasure.

[NJ10]

Yeah thats right it was Gerrard's fault, nasty nasty Steven Gerrard, the enemy of football.

Notice no one is too angry about Gareth Barry's dive against Alonso.....imagine it had been nasty Stevie or nasty Cristiano or Didier????

[unitedfan]

The ref had absolutely no intention of giving a free kick, until Gerrard waves his hands in the air. He's constantly condemning continental players who appeal for things, then he's off doing it himself - and refs just roll over for him. No-one else gets that kind of advantage, no-one at all.

I'm slowly starting to buy into Evertonscouser's theory of Liverpool and their captain:

Captain Special Dispensations to the rescue!

On Barry - yes a dive, but he doesn't condemn it, although anyone who wants to condemn it, feel free, because it was a clear dive, yes.

[NJ10]

Bollocks. If you wanna have a go at someone for that, then its the ref. Having a go at someone for appealing is ridiculous, for example i saw Ronaldo appeal for handball against a sliding Reading player today, when it was nowhere near his arm. Nothing wrong with that, if the ref gives the decision based on a players appeal/reaction then its his fault, no one elses. a good ref will be sure of his decision.

And diving is ok if you dont condemn it is it??? is it bollocks. diving is cheating, anyone who does it is a cheat, whether they do it once or a hundred times. appealing for a free kick is not cheating.

i think some people are going way overboard on this. although i dont know why i give a fuck. we won, happy days.

[unitedfan]

Yes, diving should be condemned, I didn't capitalise on that point as well as I though there, I guess.

I'm bitter right now, so take it with a pinch of salt mate.

My main complaints are at the ref, and how he and other refs roll over for Steven Gerrard, the fact that he complains about others trying to convince other refs and does it himself is what annoys me about Gerrard. I said earlier th ref was soft - he was was very soft, not biased, but did everything he could to avoid upsetting people - Gerrard just often is high up the list of people they don't want to upset, unfortunately for Villa, but there you go.

Tomorrow, when I get over it all, I may just say the best team won.

[Sven]

I just don't like it, Gerrard got a lucky call begging of last season with penalty, now the Villa player gets the ball but Gerrard ask for free kick and gets one, he's like Sir Alex of players, in getting calls or the MBE....

That saying Liverpool deserved to win, broke the draw curse begging of season, strong squad, I expcect them to be closer then 15+ points at end of season.

[unitedfan]

he's like Sir Alex of players, in getting calls or the MBE....

So this is what would happen if a United fan, a Chelsea fan and a Liverpool fan were left on a desert island - the Blue and the Devil gang up on the Scouser, then the Blue stabs the Devil in the back

[NJ10]

You two tarts wouldnt cause me too many problems......not with my searing pace!

[unitedfan]

Don't be sily, Liverpool don't have pace.

United, however . . .

[NJ10]

Originally Posted by unitedfan

Don't be sily, Liverpool don't have pace.

United, however . . .

ha touche

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

Rafa Benitez broke his Premier League hoodoo - but insisted Liverpool are still outsiders for the title.

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett broke the bank this summer, spending £43million to try and take the title to Anfield for the first time in 17 years.

And at times on Saturday, Liverpool looked the real deal. Some of their football was outstanding and it helped clinch Benitez's first victory on the opening day of the season in four attempts.

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But the Spaniard has warned that Liverpool have a lot of catching up to do on Manchester United and Chelsea after finishing 21 points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's champions last season.

"The favourites are Chelsea and United, that's clear," he said. "United finished 21 points ahead last season and they have spent more money.

"We will see the difference when we play them. Judging on one game is not enough."

But it's clear Benitez is far happier with his squad than at this stage a year ago, when Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

"It was important to see that I could change players and improve the team," he said. "We changed Pennant for Babel and we still created problems for defenders. When you have a player on the bench who is not as good as the other player then you cannot change things, you cannot manage.

"We showed we could play today but you really need to see the team after two or three months. Losing would have meant more pressure and more people talking. But we need to analyse after the next two months."

Benitez's assessment of Liverpool's title chances is his way of trying to play down expectation but he perhaps should not repeat it to match-winner Steven Gerrard. The England midfielder staged his own dressing-room rallying cry after the game to drive home the message to his team-mates that Liverpool are genuine title contenders.

Liverpool looked irresistible at times and, for 20 brilliant minutes in the first half, Aston Villa were chasing shadows.

Nigel Reo-Coker started the game in a holding role for Villa and was overrun in the first half.

Ashley Young did not seem to know where he was playing, the lack of service to the strikers was alarming, and the absence of the spark you expect on the opening day was worrying.

Liverpool created a string of chances and, even if record signing Fernando Torres wasted two good opportunities to break his Premiership duck, his allround game was impressive.

Liverpool were gifted a freak opener by Martin Laursen's 31st-minute own goal but then failed to add to their superiority. That allowed Villa to equalise from Gareth Barry's 85thminute penalty after Jamie Carragher's clumsy handball but it would have been a travesty had Liverpool not won.

Gerrard won a highly-debatable freekick after Stilyan Petrov's challenge and the Liverpool captain curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner for an 87th-minute winner.

You only had to look at Gerrard's passionate celebrations near the travelling Liverpool fans to see how much the win meant to him, and the victory will only strengthen his belief that he can lift the Premier League trophy come May. Gerrard said: "Rafa has bought quality. The big question is whether we can find consistency over 38 games - hopefully the new players can help us do that and move us up to the next level."

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt paid tribute to his captain, saying: "He has the feeling for important moments and important goals.

"He is a wonderful player and so important to us. And I was very grateful for his goal. We really wanted to show people we have enough quality to rival United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"It's important that you don't lose many points at the start . We have been too far behind in the last few seasons. We had a really good second half of last season but that's not good enough if you want to be champions."

The Mirror

[Mighty T.A.L.]

The ref had absolutely no intention of giving a free kick, until Gerrard waves his hands in the air.

Gerrard has always been clever and that's why he got all the respect from audience, players and referees aswell.He will be Sir Steven someday.If Steven means it's a free kick then it is!

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Rafa Benitez has explained the reason he started just one of his new signings on the opening day of the season.

Fernando Torres was the only newboy in the starting XI at Villa Park, though both Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin came off the bench in the later stages.

Benitez explained: "The idea was to start the season with players who had experience of the Premier League.

"If you bring in a lot of new players and you start playing with them then you don't know if they will settle in.

"I wanted players with experience to approach this game with the character that was needed but I could bring on the new players if needed."

Meanwhile, Benitez insists he isn't getting carried away after recording his first ever opening day victory as Liverpool boss.

"I have to see the difference when we play Chelsea or when we play other top teams," he said. "Judging on one game is not enough but it was important to see that I could change players and improve.

"We showed we could play but you really need to see the team after two or three months. For me, one game winning or losing doesn't make that much difference.

"Losing would mean more pressure and more people talking but we need to analyse the next two months.

"Can we get closer to the top two? We would have to do everything almost perfect and we will try to do that.

"We will try not to make too many mistakes and see if we are closer."

Source: Liverpoolfc.tv: Official Web Site