Analysis: Frustration trumps sentiment on Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard’s Anfield return

Frustration at the result, frustration at the officials and just possibly a little frustration at some of his own decisions.

Gerrard drew up a gameplan on his return to Anfield which for more than an hour worked well, as Villa dug-in and repelled Liverpool at every turn.

But after Mo Salah had fired the hosts in front from the penalty spot, the visitors were unable to find the attacking fluency to get back into the match.

It felt like the opportunity was there. Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker did not have a shot to save over the course of 90 minutes but looked flustered every time the ball went anywhere near his penalty box. The Brazilian was fortunate not to concede a penalty when, having blasted a clearance straight into defender Joel Matip, he appeared to upend Villa substitute Danny Ings.

Yet by the final whistle the inescapable sense was Villa had not quite gambled enough.

It's easy to be wise in hindsight and it would be wrong to be overly critical of Gerrard, or for the Villa boss – who largely shunned the sentiment of the return to his former club – to be too harsh on himself. Liverpool are, after all, one of the best teams in Europe, with Saturday arguably the toughest assignment of Villa’s season to date. Their head coach had little choice but to weigh up the potential reward of a more adventurous approach against the risk of sustaining a heavy, confidence-sapping defeat.

But it would also be fair to say that, over the course of his five matches in charge so far, Villa have looked more accomplished defending their own goal than attacking the opponents. Matches against Brighton, Manchester City and Leicester all featured extended spells where they struggled for fluency in the final third.

That is perfectly understandable, considering the defensive frailties which blighted Villa during the final weeks of Dean Smith’s reign. There is no question Gerrard has succeeded in making them a far more durable unit.

After the considerable money spent on this squad, however, there is a little pressure to put a dynamic product on the pitch sooner rather than later. Meetings with Norwich and Burnley over the next few days offer, as Gerrard pretty much admitted post-match, the chance to do just that.

Much as Villa aspire for fixtures like Saturday to be the type which define their season, the plain truth is performances and results against the Canaries and Clarets will reveal far more about their long-term prospects. Win both and they will be nicely placed to challenge in the top half between now and May. Poor results would, of course, prompt a few nervous glances over their shoulders. All told, it really does feel a significant week.

In addition to desiring a bit more bite up front, Gerrard’s chief complaint was Villa’s inability to maintain possession. That is an issue which long pre-dates his arrival, one many feel should have been addressed by recruiting a midfielder during the last transfer window.

Perhaps Saturday’s second half substitute appearance from Morgan Sanson offered some encouragement. The Frenchman has endured something of a nightmare with injury and illness since joining Villa in a £14million move from Marseille in January. But he has now made it off the bench in the last three Premier League fixtures and this was his brightest showing yet.

Neat and tidy on the ball, Sanson would appear to offer the kind of control Villa have too often been lacking. It was his through pass which created the late controversy when Alisson bundled into Ings.

The latter was making only his second appearance under Gerrard and it is worth remembering the new boss has not been playing with an entirely full deck. Saturday’s set-up, for instance, was the type which would have benefited from the speed of Leon Bailey as an attacking outlet. Other than the Jamaica international, Villa’s squad is not blessed with much in the way of raw pace. Gerrard’s most questionable call was removing Emi Buendia from the starting line-up. Without their record signing, Villa lacked a little in the way of guile, though he will almost certainly be back in the team tomorrow night for the return to his former club.

What certainly could not be questioned was the visitors’ determination and discipline. Villa had gone to Anfield in confident mood after a run of three wins in four matches and though their approach might have been defensive they played like a team who believed they could get a result. Disappointing though the defeat was, it does not feel as though too much momentum has been lost.

There were some excellent performances, not least from goalkeeper Emi Martinez and the fit-again Matt Targett, the latter of whom is one of several players to have rediscovered their best form since Gerrard’s arrival.

Tyrone Mings also fits into that category. The skipper’s display was faultless but for one split-second when he was outsmarted by Salah, the man many would anoint as the best player in the world right now.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are one of three Premier League teams currently performing on a different level to the rest. Competing against them this season was never going to be likely for Villa but there are other teams, a little further down the standings, who may yet be catchable.