Evening all Hope you're all tucked up somewhere warm and have something more appetising lined up for tea than the cold and disturbingly pale sausage roll I am presently contemplating. The good news is tonight's game should be enough to distract anyone from even the drabbest dinner.

Villa were the form team among the top four contenders coming into the past weekend, having won five in a row, but were handed a 3-0 pasting by Arsenal on Sunday. Liverpool, on the other hand, had been threatening to sink from view altogether before they beat Wolves. Both teams will be looking at tonight's game as that old chestnut - a 'must-win' - in the race for the Champions League fixtures.

Team news: Two changes for Villa to the team that lost to Arsenal, with Nigel Reo-Coker and Jon Carew stepping in for the suspended Ashley Young and injured Emile Heskey respectively. Liverpool send Fábio Aurélio to the bench as he has a stiff, but not properly injured, calf, with Dirk Kuyt replacing him.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, Reo-Coker, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Carew. Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye, Collins.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insúa, Kuyt, Lucas, Aquilani, Benayoun, Gerrard, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aurélio, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, Skrtel.
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

New Years resolutions Someone I know was telling me yesterday about how their mother used to set resolutions for the whole family. So while said mother's resolution would invariably be something she wanted to do like 'never do the washing up on a Friday', the rest of the family would get things like 'not put my feet on the sofa', 'always hang my towel after a shower' or 'do the washing up every Friday'. Anyway, this got me to thinking ahead of tonight's game - what New Year's Resolutions could we set for Rafa Benítez? I was going to suggest 'try not to be so afraid of letting everyone see what you spent £20m on, but he seems to have resolved that one. Shave silly beard off, maybe?

Resolutions I'll take suggestions for Martin O'Neill and indeed other managers too, if they're funny ...

Weather watch "How's the weather in Brum," asks Jonny Mac. "Snow expected I hear." Yup, it's throwing it down at Villa Park.

1 min They've got the bright yellow ball out for tonight's game. Andy Gray says he hopes "the lads have chosen the right footwear". Snow boots and tennis rackets?

2 mins Aston Villa waste no time getting forward, winning the first corner after just 70 seconds, though the deep inswinging delivery is headed away at the back post.

3 mins "I would like Benítez to hold more press conferences in which he psychologically dismembers opposition managers, all of course supported by facts," parps Brian Rafferty as Milner sees a drive cannons off Agger and away for a throw-in on the right-hand side. "After all, that did the trick last time."

4 mins A small robin has taken up residence on the sideline. That seemed more noteworthy before I started typing it.

6 mins Liverpool venture out of their own half for pretty much the first time all game and Warnock is forced to knock the ball behind for a corner as Gerrard looks to play Torres in down the left. The subsequent delivery is headed straight back to Gerrard, and he lumps it back in, but his cross eludes everyone in the middle and Liverpool give away a free-kick on the far side.

8 mins Milner wins a free-kick in a dangerous position for Villa about 10 yards from the goal-line on the right hand side as he goes down under the lightest of contact with Insúa. The same player takes the set-piece, but fails to find his man on the far side.

10 mins "Two resolutions for O'Neill that I would like to see put into action would be "I shall continue to buy young, English players at seemingly outlandish sums, and then watch smugly as they turn into England internationals against everyone's expectations, a la Young, Milner," chirps Matthew Webb. "And 'I shall try to buy less players slower than cold baby food, a la Nicky Shorey'."

13 mins Liverpool are slowly beginning to grow in confidence and they win another corner, this time on the right hand side, as Young deflects Kuyt's attempted cross behind. The same player then gets up well to head clear as the ball swings dangerously towards the middle of the six-yard box.

14 mins Villa go straight down the other end and win a corner of their own. Milner whips the ball over from the right towards the back post, and Reina almost makes a hash of things, coming out of his six yard box to claim before realising just in time that it's going to be too high. He manages to alter course in time to just about block Dunne's header back across goal from the far post, and it's a good thing he does because Carew was lurking.

16 mins This game is beginning to feel a little like one extended set piece, which would be fine if it was at least a good one. Gerrard sees a free-kick deflected behind but once again Villa have no trouble dealing with the subsequent corner.

17 mins Fantastic save from Brad Friedel, as the ball is cut back to Gerrard on the edge of the D and he attempts to chip the keeper first time. The ball was dropping in but was perhaps just a tiny bit too close to Friedel, who is able to tip over.

18 mins Yup, see previous entry for 'Liverpool corner'. "It took Alan Parry eight minutes and 56 seconds to mention how tonight's conditions will suit the British players and not the South Americans or players from "elsewhere"," notes Jonathan McQuade of the TV commentary on tonight's game. "I'm British. Hate being in the snow. At night. In Brimingham. In shorts."

21 mins After a brief spell of Liverpool possession, Villa are beginning to put the pressure on again, but look a little short of ideas in the final third. Agbonlahor runs down a blind alley on the left, then looks slighltly more pleased with himself than he probably should when he succeeds in winning a throw-in.

23 mins Glen Johnson lobs a throw-in a good six inches too high for Fernando Torres to get his head to it. Dirk Kuyt is changing his boots. Yup, that's where we're at right now.

24 mins The fans' desperation to see something happen gets too much, and Milner is greeted with a rising roar of 'shoot' as he moves across the field 25 yards out. He obliges, fizzing a left-footed drive towards the bottom corner of Reina's net but the keeper sees it early and is able to scamper across to smother it without too much bother.

26 mins Liverpool, win a free-kick in a useful spot five yards outside the box after Young checks the run of Benayoun cutting in from the left ...

27 mins Credit where it's due, that was quite inventive from Liverpool - Gerrard rolling the ball to Torres who seemed to have stopped the ball for Agger to hit, but then slipped the ball back across to Gerrard at the last second for the midfielder to thump a shot goalwards. Sadly it deflects behind off a defender for a corner.

28 mins Yeah, I may need to stop telling you about Liverpool corners altogether until they become less rubbish.

29 mins Petrov receives a pass with his back to goal inside the Liverpool area and tees himself up for a very cheeky little overhead kick that flies no more than a couple of feet over the bar.

30 mins What a save from Reina! Villa won a corner out on the left hand side and the ball was an absolute peach, landing dead on the boot of Downing at the far post. The winger struck the ball very sweetly back across goal and had already begun to wheel away in celebration but Reina sticks an arm out and manages to block the ball away.

33 mins Carragher throws himself into a challenge on half-way with such force that the ball winds up sailing just over the Villa bar and actually looks for a second like it might just drop in. "Does Kuyt not look outside before a game," demands Neale Redington. He had to be re-shoed during the Portsmouth game. And does it really matter? His hooves are going to slip regardless of which shoes they attach."

35 mins Milner gets a talking to from the referee Lee Probert after bringing down Dirk Kuyt just inside the Villa half. The home support are deeply unimpressed.

36 mins I had a spot of minor technical trouble there, but looked up just in time to see a Liverpool player nod a bouncing ball into the hands of Friedel from about four yards out.

37 mins Liverpool have a decent shout for a penalty turned down, as Kuyt gets his boot in ahead of Richard Dunne to win a loose ball and the defender follows through with his challenge into the Liverpool player's ankle. There wasn't much of a protest from Liverpool's players but replays show Dunne was clearly late.

39 mins Lovely little turn from Milner to get by Johnson on the left, but his cross lets him down, floating directly into the arms of Reina.

41 mins Dunne picks up the first yellow card of the game after ploughing through Lucas just inside the Villa half.

43 mins And now Lucas gets booked after arriving late but essentially failing to make any real contact with Agbonlahor in a similar position in Liverpool's half.

45 mins Dunne angles a long ball forward towards Agbonlahor, who has found himself a couple of yards near the Liverpool penalty spot, but the ball is too high and clears his head by a good few feet.

45 mins (+1) Cuellar very nearly costs Villa a goal right on the verge of half-time, failing to get enough power on a header back to Friedel and almost allowing Torres to race onto the loose ball. Thankfully for him Friedel is out in the nick of time to hoof the ball away.

Peepety-Peeeeep! And that's half-time. Back in a few with some half-time thoughts and emails.

Some resolutions Right, you've sent me really quite a few of these now, so here's a selection.

"I'd like to see Rafa Benítez resolve to count to ten before he speaks in public and then to say the opposite of what he thinks he should. The latter half of that sentence was also a plotline for George Costanza in one episode of Seinfeld ... I have never seen Rafa Benítez and George Costanza in the same place" - Matthew Savage

"A selection of New Year's resolutions: Press: Look up the meaning of the phrase "must win" and try not to use it before every Liverpool match. Rafa 1: (See Press). Rafa 2: Try not to spend 20 million on someone who played irregularly for an unspectacular Serie A side and had a smashed ankle. Rafa 3: Send "I miss you" card to Alonso Benayoun: More placenta Riera: Less placenta" - Peter Oh

"I would like to suggest the following resolutions to Senor Benítez. 1. I will stop buying rubbish South Americans (see Lucas, Aurélio, Insúa). 2. I will stop buying rubbish Europeans (see Kyrgiakos, Ngog). 3. I will stop turning promising/good players into rubbish (see Babel, Skrtel, Kuyt, Insúa)" - Lou Roper

"Arsène Wenger's New Year's resolution is the same as it is every year. Don't sign anyone within 4" of his height, that way he can look down at them even if they were wearing heels. Of course not signing players who wear high heels might be another resolution" - Jason Friedes

"One for Zola: come out in a press conference and say that the ref was rubbish, the team acted as if they didn't care and that he could play better with a broken metatarsal and a hangover than most of the squad. Perhaps a few cockney rhyming slangs and some curses too. Then maybe threaten to fight someone?" - Dennis Campbell

"Lawrie Sanchez's New Year's resolution for the 2nd year in a row: 'Find job'" - Colin Greer

Missing in action "Other than his picture (are we sure that's what he looks like?) and the name in the team news, no other mentions of Aquilani so far," notes Ben McDonald. "Is he really the invisible man?" He hasn't had much of an impact today Ben, I have to say. As in the last game he's had a few nice touches and seems to be on target with most of his passes, but he hasn't been as heavily involved as Liverpool would like him to be in the final third, and he's not exactly an enforcer either.

46 mins A nice spot of head tennis and I think the ball was on the floor for less than 10 seconds in that first minute of the half.

47 mins There's Aquilani. Yup, he's the one sitting on his backside after falling over while slicing an attempted cross away for a goal-kick. There were no changes for either team at half-time, by the way.

48 mins Villa win the first corner of the half, but Agger heads the ball out for a throw-in with a satisfying thud.

51 mins And now Reina decides he needs to change his boots, with the only thing being that as he's the goalkeeper absolutely everyone needs to stop and wait while he does it.

52 mins A man has finally emerged from the tunnel with some new boots. Villa's fans aren't happy.

53 mins Referee Lee Probert gives Reina a faintly patronising pat on the head and we're off again. "Speaking as a Roma supporter, would it be too much to ask Senor Benítez to pay another €30m for Phillipe Mexes to 'solve his defensive problems'," ponders Lou Roper.

56 mins Reo-Coker comes charging away down the left with the ball after Petrov breaks up a Liverpool attack, but it doesn't seem to matter whether they attack at pace or slowly - Villa's attacks invariably founder on the invisible rocks just outside Liverpool's area.

57 mins Liverpool corner. Take a wild guess how that one worked out.

58 mins Torres weaves pretty patterns with his feet to mesmerise Warnock just inside the Villa area, but then realises he doesn't have a clue what he's meant to do next and loses the ball. He really should have passed.

60 mins Lucas gives away another free-kick on the half-way line and he needs to start being a little more careful here, as he's already on a yellow. Though some of the emails I'm getting suggest Liverpool's fans might not be that sad if Lucas did have to serve a brief suspension.

62 mins "New Year's Resolution for Gerrard - 'I will stop taking corners'," chirps Simon Brereton. "Or at least work out how to beat the first man without shanking it 30 feet over everyone's heads ..."

63 mins Liverpool win a free-kick 25 yards out in a central position and this time they let Aquilani take it! it's a decent enough effort, plenty of power and dipping slightly, but it's also gone over the bar.

65 mins Liverpool have been the better team this half, but like Villa their players seem to develop tunnel vision the moment they get within five yards of the opposing team's area. As a result, nobody on either team is fashioning any actual chances.

67 mins "Speaking as Rafa's absolutely unofficial representative, please tell Mr. Roper that we will gladly take Mexes on for €30m so long as Roma take Dossena and Lucas," sighs Kyle Karinen. "For nothing."

69 mins Villa win a corner on the right and it's a fine delivery across the six-yard box that at a first glance looked reachable for an unmarked Carew, but his leap was half-hearted and Reina claims.

70 mins Great chance for Villa there, as Carragher slips chasing a long punt forward for Villa and Agbonlahor seizes on the loose ball, racing into the area but placing his shot far too close to Reina, who blocks it behind. It looked to me as though Agbonlahor may have caught Carragher during the chase actually, but the whistle never went and that was a fine chance. Agbonlahor should have done better.

71 mins And from the corner Carew glances a header inches wide of the far post! Very close indeed and Reina wouldn't have had a hope had it gone on target.

72 mins First change of the game for Villa, as Marc Albrighton comes on for Nigel Reo-Coker.

73 mins And now a huge penalty shout for Villa as Insúa heads the ball onto his own arm as he attempts to control a cross from the left. Lee Probert is having none of it.

75 mins "To be fair to Aquilani, the end product may not be there yet, but he's always asking for the ball," says Liban Saleh. "Also, I'm pretty sure Jamie Carragher is going the way of Gary Neville, i.e. good defender gone to seed." Hey, having seen Aquilani play in Italy a few times I think he's a tidy player who could become very useful for Liverpool some day - the problem is that by spending so much on him, by making him the only replacement brought in after selling Alonso, and even by leaving him out for so long when he first did get fit, Benítez has created an air of expectation around him that is totally unrealistic. And today he just hasn't had much of an impact.

78 mins Speaking of Aquilani, he's coming off now, to be replaced by Ryan Babel.

80 mins And now Steve Sidwell replaces Stewart Downing for Villa. Liverpool have a corner. Don't hold your breath.

81 mins That wasn't bad actually - Gerrard played it short for once and Insúa sold two Villa defenders the same dummy before looping a cross over towards the far side of the box, where Kuyt (I think it was Kuyt), couldn't quite put it on target.

83 mins Does a draw here suit anybody? A point at Villa Park looks a decent result for Liverpool on paper, but leaves them still six points off the top four, while a draw for Villa means they remain behind Tottenham.

84 mins Kuyt gets away with a very high boot that seemed to catch Dunne in the face, then Agbonlahor is denied a free-kick inside the centre circle as Villa try to break. Not for the first time tonight, the home crowd are unimpressed.

87 mins Johnson receives treatment to his knee following a challenge from Cuellar. There will have to be a few minutes of injury time here - don't forget we lost at least two minutes with Reina's boot troubles.

88 mins More appeals for a Villa penalty after Agbonlahor gets a little shove in the area, but it's quite the hopeful appeal. Johnson came back on but has already limped back off on the sideline.

89 mins Martin Skrtel comes on to replace Johnson.

90 mins Skrtel's first act is to chop down a Villa player right on the edge of his own area down on the left-hand side. We'll have four minutes of added time, apparently.

90 mins (+1) The free-kick gets deflected behind for a corner but Liverpool manage to hack that clear. Both teams have wasted far too many set-pieces this evening.

GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool (Torres, 90 mins (+3)) What a stroke of luck for Liverpool! Stephen Warnock's loose pass is rolling towards Benayoun and Sidwell slides in to cut it out, but the ball deflects straight back off the Liverpool player and into the path of Torres, who strides on into the area and rolls the ball across Friedel into the far corner. Fantastically composed finish but that is a cruel, cruel break for Villa.

90 mins (+4) Martin O'Neill holds his head in his hands, then swipes angrily at the ground with his hand. Aurélio comes on for Benayoun.

Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! Full-time at Villa Park and Liverpool have the win that moves them back within six points of the top four. They were no better than Villa on the night and a draw would probably have been the fair result, but that ultimately is the difference between a team with a striker like Torres in the team and one without. The Spaniard actually looked a long way short of full sharpness for most of the game, but when he got his chance he took it, whereas Agbonlahor should have done better with Villa's best chance of the game. Anyway, that's it from me. Thank you for all your emails and resolutions, sorry I couldn't use more.