Fernando Torres bagged an injury-time winner for Liverpool as they snatched a priceless 1-0 away win in the Premier League over Aston Villa.
As the game entered the third minute of injury-time, seemingly destined to end in a stalemate, the ball bounced clear of a melee of players in the centre of the Villa half and fell perfectly into the path of the Spaniard, who slotted low into the far corner past Friedel.
The goal moves Liverpool to seventh position in the table, four points behind the Champions League places, while Villa drop one place to sixth behind Manchester City on goals scored.
Torres has now become the fastest Liverpool player to reach the milestone of 50 Premier League goals.
With Javier Mascherano still unavailable, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez opted to start with Lucas and Alberto Aquilani in midfield, allowing Steven Gerrard to adopt his favoured attacking role alongside Torres.
Indeed it was Gerrard who was the first to threaten, forcing Villa 'keeper Friedel into a fingertip save with a first-time effort from just inside the area on 17 minutes.
On the whole it was defences who were prevailing, however, and it wasn't until the half-hour mark that either 'keeper was tested again, though Pepe Reina had to be at his very best to keep out Stewart Downing's sweetly-struck volley from close range after the winger had found himself totally unmarked from James Milner's corner.
A penalty shout went up from Liverpool when Dirk Kuyt was upended by a crude late tackle from Richard Dunne in the area, and the home side were fortunate referee Lee Probert waved for play to continue.
Aquilani drove a free-kick just over as Liverpool pressed at the start of the second half, though Villa almost hit them on the break with 20 minutes to go as Gabriel Agbonlahor brushed Jamie Carragher aside, before seeing his low shot well saved at the near post by Reina.
John Carew then passed up a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock from the resultant corner, heading millimetres wide of the far post after holding off Daniel Agger.
Villa then had a debatable penalty shout of their own turned down when Emiliano Insua inadvertently headed the ball onto his arm in the area.
Benitez signalled his intention to go for the three points as he replaced Aquilani with Ryan Babel with 15 minutes remaining, and the Dutchman should have made himself a hero moments later from Insua's cross, though he somehow failed to make contact with a header when left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.
After a hard-fought game in which both chances and possession were even, a draw would have been a fair result, and though it must be said the passage of play leading to Torres' late winner was fortunate, the finish was one of high quality.
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发表于 30-12-2009 07:23 AM
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