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One win won't end 'the hysteria'

Liverpool stared into the abyss and took a step back – but only just.

Obituaries were being prepared for Brendan Rodgers as his team looked to halt a dismal run of no wins in six, a run of 16 points from their last 15 Premier League games.

They did it but it took a team as lacking in confidence as Villa to help the Reds finally add another three points to their stuttering Premier League account.

Rodgers turned on his critics, alluding to a 'hysterical' agenda “outside of Anfield” which does not want him managing the club.

Despite a morale-boosting win, the narrow margin of victory here will have done little to win over those opponents.

Liverpool should have been out of sight twice with two goal leads but the old frailities and an old enemy in Rudy Gestede had other ideas

Anfield was firmly behind the team and the old title challenge season song of “poetry in motion” even got an airing.

It was far from that but Brendan Rodgers won't mind.

He may yet look back upon this three points as the most important of his career.

Sturridge the difference-maker - and he's not even fit!

Let's make it clear.

Daniel Sturridge doesn't look fit. Indeed he looks as far from fitness as he ever has on any of his previous comebacks.

The fact he can still score two sublime goals and prove the match winner is just further evidence of the incredible value a natural goalscorer can provide to a team.

It's why they cost the big bucks – it's not “rocket science” as Brendan Rodgers said afterwards.

Liverpool are 'managing' Sturridge's return – with just one appearance a week for now it seems – but to be honest there didn't seem a lot to manage in the first period.

His movement was subdued, his confidence low.

At one point he chased a through ball towards the Anfield Road end and looked like he might never reach the byline. A carthorse sprang to mind.

Slow and ponderous, he exuded all things you might expect of a man coming back from long-term injury.

A goal changed everything, a lovely volley with the outside of his left foot. He's always at his best when he hardly looks to be trying.

Suddenly he was a man transformed.

Number two wasn't far away, a lovely interchange with Coutinho and only a decent Guzan save stopped the hat-trick.

His last goal was in March, a consolation against Manchester United in the game where the Reds' rot can probably be traced to.

The 26-year-old started just one more game – the FA Cup replay against Blackburn – before succumbing to a hip injury and heading to American for surgery.

He looks miles away from where he needs to be – just imagine what he might do when he gets there.

Sure thing Milner could yet become just that

There's only one James Milner” came the warm ovation from the stands after 20 minutes.

It made sense of course, his first minute goal separating the teams as it did at that stage.

The only strange thing was it was the Aston Villa fans singing the Liverpool captain's name, recognition of the 126 games Milner played for them from 2008-2010, scoring 22 goals.

Liverpool fans applauded the gesture and it is surely a sign of what an honest professional Milner is that a club he left five years ago still appreciates him.

The reaction when he left City to head to Anfield in the summer was similar, the majority disappointed to see him go.

Milner has struggled for the last few games in red, perhaps missing the physicality of Jordan Henderson alongside him in midfield.

Here though he was everywhere, a captain trying to get his side going, perhaps buoyed by that early left foot strike into the bottom corner. His excellent one-two with Sturridge paved the way for a crucial second goal.

Not everything came off and the jury remains out on whether the promise he can always play in centre midfield should ever have been made. Those corners certainly still need work too.

But for now the “sure thing” of the summer transfer business gives the impression he can still live up to the tag.

Lucas – pass master of the “century”

It's probably not what we know him for, often putting him in the category of chief destroyer, the holder who will appear when danger most threatens.

He was still at that as well of course, but Lucas Leiva was the best passer on the pitch at Anfield – and by some considerable way.

First impressions are backed up by the stats too.

Lucas found a red shirt with 100 passes in the game, with just eight going astray.

No-one else had more than 71 (Sakho) and he was passing in a rather easier area of the pitch.

Don't think Lucas was simply droping off fodder to his centre halfs either.

The best pass combination on the pitch was the 26 he fired in to his fellow Brazilian, Philippe Coutinho.

He will not be needed in every game by Liverpool going forward but the club's longest serving player deserves to remain so for a fair while yet.

The case for the defence?

Well quite simply there isn't one.

Even a team as lacking in ideas and confidence as Aston Villa came to Anfield and made a nervous backline appear well, incredibly nervous.

Since Brendan Rodgers restored three at the back – necessary to get the defensively suspect Moreno into the team to provide balanced width on the left – a clean sheet has still escaped them.

In the first half a Villa side which had just 22% possession still enjoyed some golden opportunities.

Can presented a ball straight to Gestede, who was luckily still getting his eye in at that stage.

Skrtel and Sakho had a dreadful case of “after you” from Clyne's cushioned header while Mignolet pushed Hutton's cross straight to Scott Sinclair.

Gestede's aerial prowess was evident to spectacular effect in the second half as it was with Blackburn in the FA Cup - and quite simply if he had enjoyed more service there's little to make you think he wouldn't have won the game for his team.

Martin Skrtel needs to start living up to those tattoos and this backline needs to start getting aggressive and stingy.