Liverpool vs Aston Villa Timeline & H2H Stats

Anyone who knows anything about the United Kingdom and England in particular will more than understand the North-South divide. Northerners don’t like Southerners and vice-versa, but the Midlands is an oft-forgotten part of town where such an argument goes to die. The success of the two clubs, particularly during the 1980s, means that the same isn’t quite true of Aston Villa and Liverpool. Whilst the Villains would be far down the list of Liverpool’s enemies and the same is likely true in reverse, there have been more than a few moments when the two clubs have gone up against one another in dramatic circumstance.

In spite of Liverpool being significantly more successful than their Birmingham-based counterparts, the Reds only won one of the first 11 meetings between the sides. That was a resounding 4-0 win in the First Division in 1898, but it followed a 2-1 loss in their first encounter and a 5-0 defeat in their second. The Reds made up for it somewhat by winning six games in a row between 1900 and 1903, as well as enjoying other long bursts of success, yet it would be untrue to suggest that Liverpool have always had the edge over Aston Villa. In fact, the first time that the sides met in the FA Cup, Villa knocked the Reds out with a 3-0 win.

Going Head-to-Head for League Titles

Aston Villa and Liverpool have enjoyed some big FA Cup clashes over the years, nevermore so than when the Villains won 2-1 against Brendan Rodgers’ side in the semi-final of 2015. In truth, though, it has been in the league where the biggest battles between the teams have taken place. That isn’t necessarily to say that the pair have gone up against one another in one-off matches filled with importance, but rather that Villa twice won the league with Liverpool finishing in second place and Liverpool got their own back once. Villa’s first such success came at the end of the 1898-1899 season, winning by two points.

What will have stung Liverpool supporters the most is that Villa’s biggest away win of the season came at Anfield when they won 3-0, whilst the return game at Villa Park saw them run out 5-0 winners. Fast forward 11 years and Villa again finished top at Liverpool’s expense, this time with a much healthier margin of five points. It was Liverpool’s leaky defence that caused them the biggest issue, conceding 57 compared the Villain’s 42. It took until the 1989-1990 season for the Reds to win the league with Aston Villa in second, with Liverpool needing to overhaul the Birmingham club to do so. It proved to be their final league title for more than 30 years.

Liverpool’s Full Match History Against Aston Villa