Game #3625
Aston Villa

Saturday, 10 January 1981
1st (-)
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟩
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
RB Kenny Swain | 🏴 |
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 |
CB Ken McNaught | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Des Bremner | 🏴 |
M Colin Gibson | 🏴 |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Tony Morley | 🏴 |
F Gary Shaw | 🏴 | 🔥 | 🔥 |
CF Peter Withe | 🏴 | ⚽ |
Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982

Substitutes:
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes:
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 |
🟨 Ken McNaught, Foul
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Matchday Squad:
Not recorded
Colin Gibson replaces Gary Williams.
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.12 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 | 32.94 |
Youngest Player |
F Gary Shaw | 🏴 | 19.15 |
Ron Saunders' Villa make it three unbeaten in the League after a difficult spell as they beat second placed Liverpool at Villa Park to make it 🟩 fifteen wins, 🟨 six draws and 🟥 five defeats in 🕒 twenty six League matches this season.
Villa cruise past Liverpool at Villa Park to open up a lead at the top of the first division table with no repeat of the Anfield luck that was so helpful for the opposition in the reverse fixture.
Nevertheless the revered Bob Paisley embarrasses himself with a list of excuses including claims that Graeme Souness and Phil Neal were “reserve team players” of whom too much could not be expected for them to “perform like internationals”.
And they wonder why nobody liked them.
The pitiful nature of the opposition was underlned as Bill Shankly championed the depressing, workmanlike football displayed by the Anfield side throughout their unprecedented 1970s success.
If Villa were to lose the title they had already won the battle for football.
Success hides most ills, Liverpool however took that to the extreme.
After 7 games without a goal, Peter Withe 🏴 now has ⚽ two in his last 🕒 three games to make it ⚽ 9 in 🕒 26 appearances so far in his debut season.
Midfielder Dennis Mortimer 🏴 scores his 20th goal in Villa shirt on his 🕒 233rd appearance.
Winger Tony Morley 🏴 makes his 🕒 50th appearance in a Villa shirt.
Scorer(s) | Peter Withe | 19' | Dennis Mortimer | 82' |
Assist(s) | Gary Shaw | 19' | 82' |
Match Timeline:
⚽ | 19’ Goal, 1-0, Peter Withe, Assist by Gary Shaw
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 1-0 Liverpool
⚽ | 82’ Goal, 2-0, Dennis Mortimer, Assist by Gary Shaw
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 2-0 Liverpool
🟨 | Booking, Ken McNaught, Foul
Season | 1980-81 |
Matchday | #30 |
League Match | #26 |
Manager Game | #343 |
Saturday, 10 January 1981

Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Don Shaw | 🏴 | Sandbach, 1979-1987
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 1-0
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 2-0
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟩
Referee: Don Shaw | 🏴 | Sandbach, 1979-1987
Not recorded
Debut Appearances:
None
Final Appearances:
None
Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982
🕒 343 | 🟩 | 154 🟨 | 95 🟥 94 | 1.62
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
Referee:
VAR (from 2021)
Sub 2
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Sub 5
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Division One
Liverpool

Villa Park
Attendance: 47,960
GK Ray Clemence | 🏴 |
LB Alan Kennedy | 🏴 |
CB Colin Irwin | 🏴 |
RB Richard Money | 🏴 |
RB Phil Neal | 🏴 |
M Sammy Lee | 🏴 |
M Graeme Souness | 🏴 |
M Terry McDermott | 🏴 |
W Ray Kennedy | 🏴 |
CF Kenny Dalglish | 🏴 |
CF David Johnson | 🏴 |
Bob Paisley | 🏴 | 🤡

Substitutes:
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes:
M Jimmy Case | 🏴 |
None
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆🏆
UEFA Cup / Europa League: 🏆🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1979-80
Matchday Squad:
Not Recorded

“If I was allowed only one goal a season I would choose to score against Liverpool - the team I supported as a boy.”
Peter Withe.
“Our destiny is in our own hands now.
“It is down to team effort and pulling together like hell for each other if we are going to win the title.”
Ron Saunders.

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Reach PLC. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)