Liverpool vs Aston Villa Half-Time Update

Liverpool have a 2-0 half-time advantage over opponents Aston Villa, with goals from N’Gog and Babel separating the sides at Anfield.

Liverpool, looking for a fourth successive home victory in the league, went ahead after 13 minutes, when Martin Skrtel dealt with a Meireles corner by heading back across goal towards N’Gog, who scored his 2nd Premier League goal of the season with a diving unmarked header.

The second goal came just minutes later; a great first-time strike from Ryan Babel went beyond former Reds goalie Brad Friedel and into the far corner. The Villains have not troubled Pepe Reina so far; a 2-0 full time score is priced at 4/1, whilst an impressive four home goals without reply is 6/1.

The big team news for Liverpool is the absence of Spanish striker Fernando Torres, who has been granted leave to be with his wife Olalla who has gone into labour with the couple’s second child. Liverpool instead start with Babel and N’Gog in attack. Joe Cole is only fit enough for the bench.

Current Reds manager Roy Hodgson has lost his last two games against Aston Villa, from his time at his old club Fulham. He’ll be hoping to spoil the stats with a win that will guarantee his side jump above West Bromwich Albion into 8th place in the league. As tight as the standings are right now, odds of 4/1 for Liverpool to still claim 4th place come the summer, a bet which could interest fans of the Merseyside club.

For Villa, Houllier makes two changes from their League Cup quarter final defeat to rivals Birmingham; Marc Albrighton returns from appendicitis sooner than expected, and starts alongside Stephen Ireland, replacing the suspended Ashley Young and the injured Barry Bannan. Jonathan Hogg also starts, and is fittingly priced at 22/1 to score on his 22nd birthday.

LFC: Reina, Johnson, Konchesky, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Meireles, Lucas, Kuyt, Maxi, Babel, N'Gog.

Substitutes: Jones, Kelly, Aureilo, Poulsen, Cole, Jovanovic, Shelvey.

AVFC: Friedel, Young, Warnock, Dunne, Clark, Collins, Downing, Ireland, Albrighton, Hogg, Agbonlahor

Substitutes: Guzan, Cuellar, Lichaj, Pires, Herd, Carew, Delfouneso