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Michael Owen, starting his first game since returning from injury, missed a penalty last night as Liverpool dropped two home points. Having impressed so often since the turn of the year, the Anfield club appear to be working studiously towards ensuring that their season ends in anti-climax.

While the solitary point they gathered from an untidy game was sufficient, just, to move them back into the Premiership’s top three they have lost their way somewhat.

Blessed with a watertight defence, they are not losing - but it is wins they need as they seek the money pot of Champions League qualification.

Had their finishing not been so wretched, a win they would certainly have had. Not until the evening’s final quarter did Aston Villa show any interest in building upon the one point they held at kick-off.

Liverpool’s opportunity to collect a maximum return came and went just after the half-hour when they paid a high price for what many would see as a curious decision to allow Michael Owen to take a penalty awarded after Gareth Southgate had felled Patrik Berger.

After just 15 minutes of senior football in eight hamstrung weeks Owen - not Berger, not Emile Heskey - stepped forwards to place the ball on the spot. His kick was ferocious but struck the underside of the crossbar before dropping down.

Believing the ball had fallen behind the line, Owen, fleetingly, raised his arms in triumph; he was to be disappointed.

It was not Owen’s night. The Boy Wonder missed several chances he would normally have been expected to take, most notably in the 13th minute when he latched on to Steven Gerrard’s fine pass only to steer his shot tamely into the legs of the Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman.

The recovery of Owen welcome though it may have been for club and country, did no favours for Anfield’s latest cult figure, the Dutchman Erik Meijer, whose reward for a tireless display against Sunderland at the weekend was demotion to the substitutes’ bench.

As the Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier embraces the system of squad rotation, many will be called upon but many more left disappointed in the years that lie ahead.

Heskey was another young man who was to endure a less than satisfying night.

The youngster tried manfully to suppress a natural instinct to drift out towards the touchline but, sadly, without too much success.

Villa’s role was of a supporting nature but with Paul Merson and Steve Stone energetic and enthusiastic in central midfield their counter-attacks, rare though they were, did hold at least a measure of promise.

They went close just once, Julian Joachim drifting around Stéphane Henchoz only to cross tamely into the area when the goal lay at his mercy.

Owen should have won the game for Liverpool shortly before his inevitable withdrawal just after the hour.

Having found himself on the end of Heskey’s nicely weighted and intelligent pass he should have done rather more than lift his shot over the crossbar from 10 or so yards.

The impressive David Thompson was to go a little closer shortly afterwards but Enckelman was equal to the task, throwing himself down to block one of only a handful of shots which Liverpool were to land on what proved to be a most elusive target.