Premier League - Villa and Liverpool play out bore draw

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Liverpool lost the Premier League's last remaining 100 per cent record after a dull 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park.















Following Gareth Barry's ultimately unsuccessful transfer bid this summer - which had sparked a war of words between both clubs - the clash had been much hyped but in the end the game proved to be a damp squib.
Despite a several late Villa assaults on the Liverpool goal, as a spectacle the game largely disappointed as both teams cancelled each other out.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and his Villa counterpart Martin O'Neill - the chief protagonists of the summer unpleasantries - set the tone for the day, shaking hands prior to kick-off as Barry lined up to face the club he so badly wanted to join just weeks earlier.
But the fireworks never arrived. Indeed, Barry - the focus of attention early on as the home crowd chanted his name - barely touched the ball in the opening exchanges and did little to give his fans much more to shout about.
With action at such a premium, it came as no surprise that the most noteworthy incident of the opening half hour came when Fernando Torres pulled up clutching his hamstring midway through the first half.
Already deprived of Steven Gerrard - the Reds captain sat out the game as he convalesces from a groin operation - the Spaniard's departure diminished Liverpool's already limited attacking options.
The Spain forward immediately took off his headband and signalled to the bench that he could not continue, and even with the international break coming up, he now faces a race to be fit for Liverpool's next outing - against Manchester United on September 13.
Torres was replaced by David Ngog on the half hour mark and it was the young French striker went close to breaking the deadlock as the opening period drew to a close. The summer signing from Paris St Germain was played in on goal by Robbie Keane but his shot whistled over Brad Friedel's crossbar.
The chance was just one of three moments of note during a dire first half of football as Villa, despite being the home side, sat off Liverpool and waited to hit them on the break.
The only problem for fans hoping to see a spectacle at Villa Park was that Liverpool were equally as devoid of attacking ideas, preferring instead to keep possession and play the ball around midfield.
That a decent run down the right wing from Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker was the highlight of the opening half hour spoke volumes.
In fairness, soon after the game picked up slightly, and Villa were unlucky not to take the lead when John Carew tried to apply the finishing touches to a super passing move. Jose Reina, on great form so far this season, saved the Norwegian's side footer with his legs.
At the other end, Ngog's effort aside, Liveprool's best chance of the opening period fell to Dirk Kuyt on 40 minutes. A poor defensive header by Nicky Shorey reached the Dutchman but he in turn he could only find the side netting.
Liverpool reshuffled after the break and came out in a much more determined mood. Xabi Alonso saw a goalbound effort deflected behind before Robbie Keane squandered a glorious chance to take the lead on 73 minutes.
Keane has yet open his Liverpool account and he is increasingly looking tentative in front of goal - his hesitation before pulling the trigger when put clean through on goal by Javier Mascherano told its own story. This time, Reo-Coker was able to recover and make a crucial challenge before the Irishman could trouble Brad Friedel in the Villa goal.
It was the nearest Liverpool came to scoring, and the visitors finished the game without having registered a single shot on goal.
Villa at least managed to find the target, although they were little more penetrative than their opponents. James Milner, making his debut as a substitute, went close soon after having been introduced, but his shot was pawed out of the air by Reina before Martin Laursen saw a header go wide with the keeper beaten.
Villa could then have nicked all three points in the dying moments, but Jamie Carragher came to Liverpool's rescue, clearing off the line after the ball had taken a nasty deflection off his team-mate Fabio Aurelio