Aston Villa failed to make second half pressure pay as they lost 3-2 against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, their fifth Premier League loss in seven games.
James Milner haunted his former club with a goal after just two minutes, before Daniel Sturridge extended the lead. Rudy Gestede scored a brace to bring Villa back into the game, however his two goals were sandwiched by another one from Sturridge, which ultimately proved to be the winner.
Ayew and Clark missed out
Tim Sherwood did turn a couple of heads with his starting line-up for the game, one that didn't include Jordan Ayew, despite the striker's excellent cameo in the midweek win over Birmingham City.
He also negated to include Ciaran Clark at the heart of defence, instead keeping Joleon Lescott alongside captain Micah Richards, despite calls for the new signing to be dropped following a couple of below-par performances.
Liverpool take early lead
The changes, or lack of them, were brought into question straight away, as Liverpool took the lead just 69 seconds in. Philippe Coutinho moved in from the left hand side, nudging the ball to Milner who made no mistake in driving his left-footed shot into Brad Guzan's bottom corner.
Villa were startled, and didn't respond quickly, with Emre Can heading Alberto Moreno's cross into the arms of Guzan, who was grateful to not have conceded again.
Up at the other end, the visitors did make tentative attempts at levelling the score. Gestede nodded wide from Jordan Amavi's ball in, minutes before Jack Grealish's cross was narrowly cleared by the Reds.
Gestede got another chance, profiting from Can's mistake to shoot on the half-volley just outside the area, with Anfield silenced momentarily as the ball flew just wide.
After an early burst of action, there was little more of note before the half-time whistle. Coutinho's deflected effort was tipped over the bar, before a mistake from Simon Mignolet at the other end presented Ashley Westwood with a good chance, however the midfielder's shot bounced wide of the post.
Sturridge and Gestede take charge of the affair
A slow start to the second half was brought to a dramatic end just short of the hour mark, as Daniel Sturridge extended Liverpool's lead. Using his pace to get behind a helpless Villa defence, he ran on to Milner's chipped pass, volleying home with ease.
That goal was the catalyst for a 12 minute spell where four goals would be scored, with Gestede's first bringing Villa back into the game. A goal virtually from nothing, Alan Hutton's good run down the right hand side saw him burst into the box, before moving the ball to the back post where Gestede finished.
More shoddy defending from the Villans followed upon the resumption of play, with Liverpool going straight down the other end to bring their margain of lead back to two goals. Coutinho and Sturridge played a lovely one two, with the latter scoring his second of the game to make it 3-1.
The final goal of that crazy spell came from Gestede again, as he became the second striker to get a brace in this topsy turvy game. A traditional Gestede bullet header did the trick, as he got on the end of Amavi's cross to head in, leaving Villa a goal down with 20 minutes to play.
No last gasp equaliser for Villa
However, it was Liverpool who looked likelier to score the sixth goal of the game, as the clock ticket down. Milner hit the post before a foul was given that would have ruled the goal out in any case, before it took a brilliant Guzan save to deny Sturridge his hat-trick.
Villa did eventually get their act together and apply some late pressure to a nervy looking Reds defence, but walked away with nothing as the game ended 3-2.