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 Liverpool horror show did not stop there however as the 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.