|
Home>News Center>Sports | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Reds rout Rovers as Villa falter
Michael Owen returned from injury to inspire Liverpool to a 4-0 rout over Blackburn at Anfield on Sunday.
Harry Kewell fed Emile Heskey who took three strides, pulling defenders towards him before slipping the ball neatly to his left where Owen's instant right-footed shot beat Brad Friedel low down. Andy Todd made matters worse not long after when he somehow managed to turn the ball into his own net with Owen lurking ominously. And just two minutes later the Anfield favourite had extended the home side's advantage when he unleashed a fierce right-footed drive on the run that crashed past Friedel into the far corner of the net. Rovers offered little as an attacking force and struggled to cope with wave after wave of Liverpool pressure. A late strike from Heskey ensured Liverpool their biggest win of the season and further increased the pressures on Graeme Souness' relegation-haunted troops.
Earlier, Aston Villa's push for Europe suffered a setback as Sylvain Distin's late equaliser earned Manchester City a point from a 1-1 Villa Park draw. David O'Leary's troops would have moved up to sixth place with a three-point haul, while City are still anxiously looking over their shoulders at the relegation scrap. Villa started the game brightly and took the lead on 25 minutes when Juan Pablo Angel headed home his 21st goal of the season from Thomas Hitzlsperger's corner. Angel was replaced by Peter Crouch after the break due to fatigue from playing for Colombia in midweek - and the beanpole hitman had a fierce drive charged down by Distin shortly after the re-start. Shaun Wright-Phillips then had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide but Villa should have doubled their lead when David James could only parry Hitzlsperger's 66th-minute free-kick into the path of Gavin McCann, who lofted a shot over the bar from eight yards. Dropped duo Robbie Fowler and Nicolas Anelka came on for Jonathan Macken and Paulo Wanchope - and City grabbed an equaliser eight minutes from time. Michael Tarnat delivered a sharp corner and City skipper Distin powered home a header which took a slight touch off Fowler. The visitors nearly took all three points in stoppage time, but home keeper Thomas Sorensen produced two superb saves to deny Fowler and Anelka. |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
