Game #5191
Aston Villa

Saturday, 15 December 2012
14th (+3)
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟩
GK Brad Guzan | 🇺🇸 |
CB Nathan Baker | 🏴 |
CB Ciaran Clark | 🇮🇪 |
RB Matt Lowton | 🏴 | 🟨 |
RB Eric Lichaj | 🇺🇸 |
M Ashley Westwood | 🏴 |
M Barry Bannan | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Chris Herd | 🇦🇺 |
W Brett Holman | 🇦🇺 | 🔥 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
CF Christian Benteke | 🇧🇪 | ⚽ | 🔥 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
F Andreas Weimann | 🇦🇹 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
Paul Lambert | 🏴 | 2012-2015

Substitutes:
🔁 M Fabian Delph | 🏴 | for W Brett Holman | 🇦🇺 | 69’ |
🔁 M Karim El Ahmadi | 🇲🇦 | for M Barry Bannan | 🏴 | 85’ |
🔁 W Charles N’Zogbia | 🇫🇷 | for CF Andreas Weimann | 🇦🇹 | 90’+2 |
Unused Substitutes:
GK Shay Given | 🇮🇪 |
LB Joe Bennett | 🏴 |
W Marc Albrighton | 🏴 |
F Jordan Bowery | 🏴 |
🟨 Matt Lowton
🟨 Christian Benteke
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
UEFA Cup / Europa League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Matchday Squad:
Injury | 7 |
CB Richard Dunne | 🇮🇪 |
M Gary Gardner | 🏴 |
RB Eric Lichaj | 🇺🇸 |
CB Ron Vlaar | 🇳🇱 |
M Stephen Ireland | 🇮🇪 |
F Darren Bent | 🏴 |
F Gabriel Agbonlahor | 🏴 |
Illness | 1 |
M Stiliyan Petrov | 🇧🇬 |
Out on Loan | 4 |
M Jean Makoun | 🇨🇲 | Stade Rennais
F Nathan Delfouneso | 🏴 | Blackpool
LB Stephen Warnock | 🏴 | Bolton
RB Alan Hutton | 🏴 | Forest
Paul Lambert recalls Brad Guzan in place of Shay Given as Ashley Westwood, Andreas Weimann and Barry Bannan replace Karim El Ahmadi, Darren Bent and Fabian Delph.
Starting XI Average Age
| 23.87 |
Oldest Player |
W Brett Holman | 🇦🇺 | 28.74 |
Youngest Player |
F Andreas Weimann | 🇦🇹 | 21.38 |
Villa extend their unbeaten run to six in all competitions - winning for a second time in the League - as they produce their best result of the season to beat Liverpool at Anfield as many predict a turning of the corner after a torrid first three months under Paul Lambert's leadership.
Villa score more goals in 51 minutes at Anfield than they had managed in their previous 5 Premier League games under Paul Lambert.
The starting XI was the youngest in the Premier League this season averaging 23 years, 309 days old.
Villa have now won 4 of 17 Premier League games under Paul Lambert.
Christian Benteke contributes his 5th assist in a Villa shirt on his 17th appearance (15 Starts) to make it W7 D5 L5, 8 Goals, 5 Assists and 2 Bookings so far in his Villa career.
Barry Bannan secures his 20th win in a Villa shirt on his 70th appearance (41 Starts) to make it W20 D21 L29, 2 Goals, 5 Assists and 7 Bookings so far in his Villa career.
Brett Holman contributes his 5th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 19th appearance (13 Starts) to make it W6 D7 L7, 2 Goals, 4 Assists and 1 Booking so far in his Villa career.
Liverpool were left stunned after their hopes of challenging for a top-four spot were hit by a loss to Aston Villa.
The home side went behind against the run of play when Christian Benteke arrowed a shot in off the post.
Benteke’s backheel set up Andreas Weimann for Villa’s second, before the Reds were denied a penalty when Ciaran Clark pulled Daniel Agger’s shirt.
Benteke made it three from close range for a resurgent Villa before Steven Gerrard netted a late consolation goal.
It was a second defeat in 12 games for Liverpool and will serve as a reality check to their growing levels of optimism and expectancy that they might be able to launch an assault on the Champions League places.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers had even claimed he was but those comments came back to haunt him after his side were beaten by an improving and youthful Villa, who extended their unbeaten league run to five games to move up to 14th place.
The Midlands side had reached the Capital One Cup semi-finals with a midweek win at Norwich and they translated that form to Anfield, with the finishing prowess of strike duo Benteke and Weimann showing Liverpool what they are missing.
The match had got under way following a minute’s applause for former Liverpool captain and manager Phil Taylor, who passed away recently aged 95.
When the action did start, the home side were quickly given a wake-up call when Benteke headed a Barry Bannan free-kick straight at Reds keeper Pepe Reina.
Liverpool took this as the cue to take a grip of the game as they passed and probed for openings, although their lack of a clinical edge in the final third let them down.
This was epitomised when Luis Suarez could have put Gerrard clean through on goal, only for the Uruguayan to put his pass behind his captain’s surging run.
Even though the ball was quickly worked back to Gerrard, he sent his 12-yard shot straight at keeper Brad Guzan.
Liverpool again had the Villa goal in sight when Suarez robbed left-back Chris Herd of possession before laying the ball off to Jonjo Shelvey, who had the ball cleared off his toes by a last-ditch Nathan Baker tackle.
Having provided a warning to the Merseysiders when Weimann had earlier broken clear before being shepherded wide and then tackled by Reina, Villa shocked their hosts after 29 minutes.
Brett Holman laid the ball off to Benteke and, afforded time and space, the Belgian fired a low 22-yard shot in off the post.
Weimann put an effort onto the roof of the net as he almost capitalised on Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson’s poor back-header, before the Villa striker did extend his side’s lead.
Weimann and Benteke beautifully combined and the latter’s backheel allowed the former to sweep a shot past Reina.
Rodgers brought on Joe Cole for Shelvey at half-time and, while Liverpool had a decent claim for a penalty turned down for Clark’s shirt-pulling of Agger, the home side rarely threatened a comeback.
Instead, Cole gave the ball away and Benteke waltzed through the gaping defence of the Merseysiders before slotting home a close-range shot.
Gerrard did find a way past Villa keeper Guzan with a header from Johnson’s shot but it was too little, too late.
Scorer(s) | Christian Benteke | 29’ | 51’ | Andreas Weimann | 40’ |
Assist(s) | Brett Holman | 29’ | 51' | Christian Benteke | 40’ |
Match Timeline:
⚽ | 29’ Goal, 1-0, Christian Benteke, Assist by Brett Holman
⚽ | 40’ Goal, 2-0, Andreas Weimann, Assist by Christian Benteke
🕒 | HT Liverpool 0-2 Aston Villa
⚽ | 51’ Goal, 3-0, Christian Benteke, Assist by Brett Holman
🟨 | 65’ Booking, Matt Lowton
🔁 | 69’ Sub off, Brett Holman, Sub on, Fabian Delph
🔁 | 85’ Sub off, Barry Bannan, Sub on, Karim El Ahmadi
🥅 | 87’ Goal, 3-1, (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard
🟨 | 88’ Booking, Christian Benteke
🔁 | 90’+2 Sub off, Andreas Weimann, Sub on, Charles N’Zogbia
🕒 | FT Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa
Season | 2012-13 |
Matchday | #21 |
League Game | #17 |
Manager Game | #21 |
Saturday, 15 December 2012

Manager: Paul Lambert | 🏴 | Glasgow, 2012-2015
Referee: Neil Swarbrick | 🏴 | Preston, 2011-2018
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 2-0
FT Score: 🟩 3-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
Last 5: 🟩 🟨 🟨 🟩 🟩
Referee: Neil Swarbrick | 🏴 | Preston, 2011-2018
Assistants: Peter Kirkup, Ceri Richards
Possession F | 39%
Possession A | 61%
Shots F | 9
Shots A | 25
Shots on Target F | 6
Shots on Target A | 16
Corners F | 2
Corners A | 7
Fouls F | 11
Fouls A | 4
Debut Appearances:
None
Final Appearances:
None
Paul Lambert | 🏴 | 2012-2015
🕒 21 | 🟩 | 8 🟨 | 6 🟥 7 | 1.43
Villa Career Form:
Top 8
Referee:
VAR (from 2021)
Sub 4
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Results
Cards
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Sub 5
Games
Results
Cards
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Premier League
Liverpool

Anfield
Attendance: 44,607
GK Pepe Reina | 🇪🇸 |
CB Daniel Agger | 🇩🇰 |
CB Martin Škrtel | 🇷🇸 |
RB Glen Johnson | 🏴 |
M Steven Gerrard | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Stewart Downing (ex) | 🏴 |
M Lucas Leiva | 🇧🇷 | 🔁 |
M Joe Allen | 🏴 |
M Jonjo Shelvey | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Luis Suárez | 🇺🇾 | 🟨 |
W Raheem Sterling | 🏴 |
Brendan Rodgers | 🇬🇧 |

Substitutes:
🔁 | M Lucas Leiva | 🇧🇷 | (M Jordan Henderson | 🏴 |)
🔁 | M Jonjo Shelvey | 🏴 | (M Joe Cole | 🏴 |)
Unused Substitutes:
GK Brad Jones | 🇦🇺 |
CB Sebastián Coates | 🇺🇾 |
CB Jamie Carragher | 🏴 |
RB Andre Wisdom | 🏴 |
M Suso | 🇪🇸 |
🟨 Luis Suárez
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
UEFA Cup / Europa League: 🏆🏆🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 2011-12
Matchday Squad:
Not Reported

“The whole performance was fabulous. The goals were excellent, as was the way we defended.
“I thought we were excellent. The goals were brilliant, the second goal, with the movement and the backheel, especially.
“Benteke has been unbelievable while Andi Weimann knows where the goal is. He’s a natural finisher. His enthusiasm and work ethic are second to none.”
Paul Lambert, Saturday, 15 December 2012.
