Cool as ice! Fernando Torres strikes in injury time. Photo: Nick Wilkinson/EPA/Guardian

The game could easily have swung either way, and it really would have, like so many occassions this season when results have been so hard to come by. In the end, the quality of a top marksman separated both sides.

Fernando Torres latched on to a loose, some say lucky, ball from Benayoun in the dying minutes of injury time to claim three valuable points for the Reds. In doing so, the Spaniard also wrote the history books as the fastest player in Liverpool to nail 50 league goals.

Aston Villa had threatened on several occasions to break the deadlock with the speedy Gabriel Agbonlahor and a towering John Carew making their presence felt. An unmarked Stewart Downing even had an open goal to shoot into off a Liverpool mix-up, but he drilled his shot directly into Pepe Reina instead.

Liverpool too, had its chances to score. Dirk Kuyt was denied a valid penalty claim after being bundled over by Richard Dunne, and Gerrard’s looping shot was brilliant saved by Brad Friedel.

This was Liverpool’s first consecutive win since September, and in a game where 3 points could have gone to Villa in a disappointing season so far, fans will welcome this victory with cautious optimism.

Next up: Reading in the FA Cup, our realistic hope of a trophy this season, apart from the Europa Cup.