Steven Gerrard will undergo groin surgery in a bid to have an injury-free season and will miss two league games and two England World Cup qualifiers in the process. How much will they miss him? If you look at Liverpool's fixtures you'll see them playing away at Villa Park on Sunday 31st August and home to [. Click to continue reading...

In one sense, Liverpool have had a perfect start to their season. Six points from two Premier League games and successful passage into the next stage of the Champions League is the best they could have accomplished to date. They've been almost-perfect at the back, conceding just one goal in 390 minutes of football. Click to continue reading...

I didn't get to see this one, but apparently we're still playing like ass and now to top it off, we've lost Stevie G for 10-14 days. He's finally having that pesky groin operated on, which apparently is not that serious, but will keep him off the pitch for club and country. Hopefully, he will be back in shape for when Man U come to town on September 13th.

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Newcastle United midfielder James Milner has this afternoon handed in a transfer request at the club after reported interest from Aston Villa. The former Leeds United star is said to be keen on a move to Villa Park after spending a season on loan at the club two years ago.

Milner, 22, was also linked with Liverpool earlier this summer but it would appear now that Martin O'Neill is in pole position to sign the England under-21 international. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa's Gareth Barry might not be spending the season at Villa Park after all. One of the most talked about transfer targets this summer is now being linked with Arsenal - again. Reports have Arsene Wenger back looking at... Click to continue reading...

Ex-Liverpool and Villa star Patrick Berger knows exactly why Gareth Barry would prefer to leap into the arms of Rafa B and elope to Anfield rather than stay at Villa Park. The Telegraph reports that Patrick Berger, who was earlier given a hefty fine and a slap across the wrist for ... Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez will step up his efforts to bring in midfield reinforcements – and finally concede defeat in his pursuit of Gareth Barry.

The Liverpool manager is determined to strengthen his left side and is set to make this his priority in the remaining two weeks of the transfer window. Click to continue reading...

First, let's remind ourselves of how last season finished.

And here's how the table will look in May 2009 (yeah, right!):

1. Chelsea
It's boring to say, but this is a team that suffered the chaos of Jose Mourinho's sacking, the listlessness of Avram Grant's leadership, and was hit by multiple injuries and absences last year—and they still took the title to the last day and only lost the Champions League final on penalties. Click to continue reading...

Gareth Barry's long awaited transfer to Liverpool is now on the verge of collapsing. Villa manager Martin O'Neill has included Barry in Villa's UEFA Cup squad which means the midfielder would be cup tied in European continental competitions. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wouldn't be too pleased with signing a player for big money and then not being able to play him in the Champions' League. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill insists Gareth Barry "knew the consequences" of his decision to play in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night.

Barry scored the opening goal as Villa cruised to a 4-1 victory over FH Hafnarfjordur in Iceland in the second qualifying round match, a result which home boss Heimir Gudjonsson admitted has killed the tie off at the halfway stage. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa are preparing a £9 million bid for Newcastle United winger James Milner. The former Leeds man has been targeted by Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez all summer but it now looks as though Martin O'Neill is to chance his luck by making a bid for the England under-21 international.

Milner, 22, had a brief spell at Villa Park two seasons ago and was close to a £4 million permanent move then, but for whatever reasons nothing materialised. Click to continue reading...

Gareth Barry's proposed move to Liverpool finally appears to have fallen through after he asked to join Aston Villa's Uefa Cup challenge.

The England midfielder declared himself available to play after speaking to Martin O'Neill's staff, giving the clearest indication yet that he will remain at Villa Park. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa have announced the signing of Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar from SPL side Rangers for a fee of £7.8 million. The defender is sure to bring some class to the squad, and will no doubt be a long-term replacement for Olof Mellberg who recently left Villa Park to join Juventus. Cuellar is just the 2nd [. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa have revealed that they have agreed a fee for one of Glasgow Rangers' stand-out players who was part of the chase for four trophies last season. The Villans have activated the £7.8 million release clause in defender Carlos Cuellar's Ibrox contract, and he is now free to speak to the Midlands club, most probably [. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa have revealed that they have agreed a fee for one of Glasgow Rangers' stand-out players who was part of the chase for four trophies last season. The Villans have activated the £7.8 million release clause in defender Carlos Cuellar's Ibrox contract, and he is now free to speak to the Midlands club, most probably [. Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa have revealed that they have agreed a fee for one of Glasgow Rangers' stand-out players who was part of the chase for four trophies last season. The Villans have activated the £7.8 million release clause in defender Carlos Cuellar's Ibrox contract, and he is now free to speak to the Midlands club, most probably [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's quest to sign Gareth Barry has taken another twist after the club's chief executive Rick Parry admitted that "the price quoted is too high". Parry's comments appear to contradict those made by manager Rafael Benítez after the Spaniard claimed that money was not the issue.

The Aston Villa midfielder was identified as a summer transfer target by Benítez but the two sides have so far been unable to agree a fee. Click to continue reading...

Martin O'Neill finally made some more moves with Reading's Nickey Shorey and Middlesbrough's Luke Young coming to Villa Park for this coming season. Shorey had been on the radar of a few Premiership clubs after the Royals drop and Young... Click to continue reading...

Aston Villa have signed England right-back Luke Young from Middlesbrough, who reportedly want Liverpool's Steve Finnan as his replacement.

Young, 29, completed a medical on Thursday evening before becoming the second new full-back to arrive at Villa Park following the capture of Nicky Shorey from Reading earlier in the day. Click to continue reading...

Though Gareth Barry was still waiting for news of any breakthrough on his move to Liverpool yesterday, there is a feeling that the club's American owners are willing to provide the cash needed for his purchase. The Tom Hicks camp appears to be relaxed about the issue – perhaps too relaxed for Liverpool's liking – though Barry will be hoping that next week, rather than this, might deliver the moment he has been waiting for. Click to continue reading...

A FIRST half injury to Steven Gerrard means that Liverpool's captain has to be a doubt for the Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege a week from now but if Rafael Benitez is looking for leaders in midfield he need look no further than a galvanised Xabi Alonso.

A dip in form last season, the disagreement with his manager when he attended the birth of his first child when the team were playing at Internazionale and losing his place in the first XI all pointed to Alonso heading for the Anfield exit door this summer. Click to continue reading...

Gareth Barry's dream of finally joining Liverpool now lies in the hands of the club's American owners.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has given up hope of keeping the England star at his club and told Rafa Benitez that Barry is all theirs.

But the Liverpool manager is now sweating over whether joint owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will stump up the £18m needed to clinch the drawn out deal. Click to continue reading...

Former American international goalkeeper Brad Friedel has left Blackburn Rovers to join fellow compatriot keeper Brad Guzan at Aston Villa. The 37 year-old Cleveland native has agreed to a three year contract at Villa Park which will keep him in the Midlands until he is close to age 40. Click to continue reading...

Gareth Barry's transfer to Liverpool finally looks like going through after the Anfield club came up with the money to secure his move from Aston Villa.

The longest-running saga of the summer has reached a confusing climax after an earlier statement that he was staying at Villa Park.

Sportsmail understands that the mix-up was due to a deadline being missed by 20 minutes, and the transfer will finally be concluded on Thursday. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder is over tonight after the Midlands club confirmed the player will be staying at Villa Park. The England international has been linked with a move to Anfield for months now after he confirmed that he was interested in a move to Merseyside club.

Barry, 27, was valued at £18 million by Villa, a price which Reds boss Rafa Benitez felt was too much for the Villa captain. Click to continue reading...