Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 3:Rafa Benitez's side slumped to their second Premier League defeat in nine days to put their title credentials firmly on the line as Aston Villa produced a defiant display to claim a deserved first win at Anfield since 2001.

The result also ended Liverpool’s 31-match unbeaten home league record stretching back to December 2007, when Manchester United were the last winners at Anfield.

But the spotlight will now be on Liverpool, who only lost twice in the league last season and still did not win the title.

The margin for error is now very fine. You rarely win the crown by losing more than five games in a season, and Liverpool’s hopes could already have suffered a mortal blow.

A Lucas own goal and a Curtis Davies header saw Villa 2-0 up at the break. Fernando Torres pulled one back but an Ashley Young penalty settled the points.

Liverpool could have been ahead in the first minute when Yossi Benayoun’s back-header from Torres’s chip into the area beat Brad Friedel but dropped inches wide.

Villa’s first chance came after eight minutes when Davies met a Nicky Shorey cross with a strong header, but it went straight at Jose Reina.

Torres and Steven Gerrard both saw shots blocked in the six-yard box, before Young was booked after 12 minutes for blocking a Dirk Kuyt run. Then Gerrard struck a first-timer from 20-yards just over from Kuyt’s touched pass.

Torres was coming in for some rough treatment from Carlos Cuellar, two tackles from behind going unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson.

Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell were successfully breaking up Gerrard’s flow in midfield, and Villa were soon to take the lead.

It came after 33 minutes when Lucas gave away a needless free-kick in midfield.

Young swung the set-piece towards the near post, and it was the unfortunate Lucas who rose to head the ball past Reina for an own goal.

Reina was booked in first half injury time for kicking the ball away in annoyance when referee Atkinson awarded a disputed corner. And it got worse for Liverpool when Shorey’s corner was headed home by Davies.

Liverpool started the second period powering forward, but it was more frantic than controlled attacks. But Villa were defending with great resilience, and breaking quickly to cause the home side all sorts of problems at the back, Reo-Coker being only inches away from a third with one sliding attempt.

Liverpool finally gave themselves some hope after 72 minutes when Emiliano Insua got down the left and rolled the ball into the six-yard box for Torres to score.

But two minutes later Liverpool were back in despair and Villa celebrating. Shorey’s pass into the path of Reo-Coker saw the midfielder surge into the box only to be felled by Gerrard’s desperate tackle. It was a clear penalty and Young stepped up to restore Villa’s two-goal lead.

Liverpool’s frustration was obvious. Torres was booked for dissent when Young went down injured and asked for treatment. He was eventually replaced by Emile Heskey.

Ryan Babel came on for Benayoun, with Liverpool still coming forward. Friedel again made a fine save from a Torres flick, before Kuyt sent a close-range effort wide of the far post.

Friedel also saved from Torres and Glen Johnson, with Martin Skrtel booked in the dying minutes, but Villa held on for a famous victory.