Liverpool slumped to their second defeat of the Premier League season yesterday when Aston Villa triumphed 3-1 at Anfield.

The first loss to Villa in eight years leaves last season's runners-up six points adrift of pacesetters Tottenham and Chelsea after three matches and as many defeats already as in their last campaign.

The damage was done before half time with Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva nodding into his own goal and goalkeeper Pepe Reina beaten by a header from Villa's Curtis Davies.

Fernando Torres pulled one back for Liverpool, but Villa's two-goal cushion was restored inside three minutes when Steven Gerrard conceded a penalty and Ashley Young successfully converted the spot kick.

Goalkeeper Brad Friedel pulled off a string of vital saves to secure Villa's first win over Liverpool since September 2001.

"We've been getting a few bullets in the press for our performances recently," said Friedel, whose side lost their league opener to Wigan. "(This win) was the right time for us. We knew we would be under the cosh. Second half, we were under siege, but the penalty came at the perfect time."

Scramble

A night that ended so grimly for the Reds begun so brightly against a side that had yielded more Premier League points to them than any other club.

Inside the first minute, Torres lofted the ball to the advancing Yossi Benayoun only for the Israeli midfielder's backward-header to drift wide.

The opener could have come from a goalmouth scramble in the 9th minute when Torres, Benayoun and Gerrard all had good chances to score, but were thwarted by some desperate Villa defence.

Liverpool then paid for their profligacy when, against the run of play, Villa took the lead in the 34th minute.

After conceding the free kick, Leiva made matters worse when the much-maligned midfielder diverted Young's cross into his own net.

Matters took another turn for the worse on the stroke of half time when a corner was awarded much to the annoyance of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who was booked for kicking the ball away.

Davies then rose between Carragher and Torres to meet Nicky Shorey's corner with a glancing header past Reina.

Liverpool were better after the break, but found Friedel in fine form.

The United States and former Liverpool 'keeper blocked Gerrard's shot inside the first minute, palmed over Dirk Kuyt's header in the 58th and thwarted Gerrard again in the 69th.

Lucas, at the heart of a midfield desperately short of creativity since Xabi Alonso's offseason exit to Real Madrid, was brought off in favour of Andriy Voronin.

Torres then made it 2-1 in the 72nd when Emiliano Insua pinged the ball across the penalty area and Torres hit home.

But just two minutes later Gerrard tripped Nigel Reo-Coker and Young dispatched the resulting penalty kick to restore Villa's two goal cushion.

Also yesterday, Sunderland advanced to the third round of the League Cup with a 4-1 victory at Norwich.