Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 6: First Thoughts

Aston Villa 0
Liverpool 6 Sturridge 16', Milner 25', Can 59', Origi 63', Clyne 65', Toure 71'

• Pre-game Thoughts: Nothing like a last minute winner to kick off this slate of Valentine's Day, eh? Let's hope Aston Villa are interested in giving Sakho and his daughter Aida some belated birthday gifts by shipping a few goals. To a guy we like to call Daniel Sturridge, perhaps? JON FLANAGAN!
  
  
• All white errythang kits and Furrinho as the attacking trifecta--today was already a good day.
  
  
• Crisp passing and movement to start with Milner pushed up wide right and Hendo-Can in a double pivot. On paper, that is giving all of the front six their most natural roles.
  
  
• Henderson just fired a knee-high heat seeking missile to get the ball between defenders and to Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian cushions his touch into space, and away from his mark, while reading the subsequent tackle coming on the next touch, and so decides to flick it up in the air to himself calmly, over the defender's swinging leg, and to a first time pass to a teammate. Sploosh.
  
  
• Remi Garde has gone for the happy, stress-free midfield of Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Bacuna-matata, and Kieran "Everything is Awesome" Westwood. Lets see how that works out for him, Cotton.
  
  
• GOAL Daniel Sturridge 16' DANCE..
  
  
• 45th goal in Sturridge's 75th game played. The ability to cut through the noise of burgeoning Villa possession with a clinical goal is a dynamic that Redkind has been just so thirsty for this season it's not even funny.
  
  
• Suffice to say Bobby looks a lot happier picking his triangles alongside Phil and Dan.
  
  
• GOAL James Milner 25' Get this: a goal from a well delivered ball in that is aided on its goalward path by terrible set piece defending, only the team being scored on isn't Liverpool, and the guy delivering the set piece is Hamez Milner.
  
  
• Can, Moreno, and Hendo combine to pinch Westwood's possession along the sidelines, springing Firmino to find Clyne on the break, who swings a deep one to the left channel for Milner, who heads back to an arriving Hendo to get a strike on goal. That, ladies and germs, is some muhfuggegenpressing.
  
  
• Roberto Firmino is the Charlie Turna of this Jurrassic 5 attack today. He's gonna say this one time for ya, and that's his word. 
  
  
• Snocone! 
  
  
• Granted, their skills are being tested about as much as an orca in a salmon farm, but the Hendo-Can double pivot is doing a good job taking turns covering the front of the box when the other goes wide on the mark. Consistently doing subtle things like that is what separates a quality double pivot from a headless chicken double pivot. Mmmmmmm, chicken tenders.
  
  
• There is an absurd amount of alternating, compounding, accentuating off ball movement going on between Studge and Bobby.
  
  
• Don't look now, but Liverpool's set pieces are looking pretty effective.
  
  
• Half-time: Welcome to your first choice attacking unit, Herr Klopp. If these lads stay fit for the rest of the season, Liverpool may not need that cup win to secure European football next year. Our half-time team talk includes some wake-up blend washing down pancakes, maple chicken schmausages, and a fried egg over-easy. Noms.
  
  
• Second verse same as the first with the lineups, and Bacuna gets an shot off that Mignolet spills before covering back up. Good times bad times.
  
  
• So, Agbonlahor goes down injured and Sturridge immediately drops into an extended hip flexor stretch that would be really impressive in a pre-brunch Sunday yoga class. It is less so when he's, y'know, Daniel Sturridge in the middle of an effing football match.
  
  
• Seven Villains bunched off to one side to defend a Liverpool possession, but no Redman is able to find the switch to spring Clyney. 
  
  
• A lot of babies are going to be conceived today. That's not a Valentine's Day joke, just an honest assessment of Phil's outside of the boot ball to spring Moreno there.
  
  
• GOAL Emre Can 59' Emre Can presses a Villain in possession, Firmino keeps his head up on the break, buying time for the big German Adonis to pick himself up, and receiving the bass back from Bobby. Then he cordially invites Bunn to collect the game ball from the back of his own net. Press to attack, rinse, repeat.
  
  
• Aaaaaaand Studge goes out. We're sure that has nothing to do with the ashtanga sun salutation he was doing earlier. /nervous laughter.
  
  
• GOAL Divock Origi 63' Daniel who? Philippe makes us all feel like Spring has sprung with that curling release down the sideline, and Divock makes his fresh legs count as he gets his sixth goal in all comps, and second in the league.
  
  
• GOAL Nathaniel Clyne 65' Villa's fans stage their own walkout after a steaming pile of what passes as defending at Villa Park these days presents Clyney with a goal.
  
  
• Kevin Stewart! We like Kevin Stewart, and we don't say that lightly as people with two first names are generally not to be trusted.
  
  
• GOAL Kolo Toure 71' KOLOLOLOLOL!!!!
  
  
• Someone call Remi Garde an uber full of puppies, and schedule him for a good hour of Kloppo hugs. 
  
  
• Jürgy mercilessly rubbing Villa's noses in it by bringing Tek-9 on for Firmino. With everyone fit and scoring Liverpool's striker options go from rags to riches in such a way that we're half expecting Richard Gere to show up in a limo rocking shoulder-padded, double-breasted Armani.
  
  
• S-Scott Sinclair? That Rui Costa 2.0 curler that just spanked off the cornerpost of Mignolets goal was struck by Scott Sinclair?
  
  
• Stop us if you've heard this one before, but Liverpool calmly head clear from a set piece swung into the box. What's that? Oh, you actually haven't heard that one before? Huh. Guess that's news, then.
  
  
• Young Stewie looks right at home next to Hendo and Can, innit?
  
  
• Jürgen looks like a pig in shit, Zeljko allows his face to relax, and the Reds get some practice time on a 4-3-3 with Milner and Origi flanking Benteke.
  
  
• Good luck with Man of the Match voting on this one! Furrinho an Hamez all deserving. Emre. Pffft. Great game.

We'll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today's game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven't already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we'll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.