Premier League: Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 1

Luiz Suarez headed home late on to help Liverpool avoid a fourth straight league defeat with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Australian youngster Chris Herd had put Alex McLeish’s side ahead after just 10 minutes at Anfield with a sweetly struck opener.

The hosts saw a couple of decent penalty appeals turned away but finally equalised with less than 10 minutes remaining through the Uruguayan, who pounced after substitute Daniel Agger had headed against the bar.

After a minute’s silence ahead of the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster next Sunday, Liverpool had the first chance of the game as Stewart Downing skipped past Alan Hutton and flashed the ball across the six-yard box for Dirk Kuyt.

The Dutchman’s close-range effort was pushed out by Shay Given, though it may have crossed the line.

The hosts were punished almost immediately after when goalkeeper Doni failed to clear a high ball from Stephen Warnock, which Herd expertly curled beyond the Brazilian from just inside the box after being teed up by Barry Bannan.

James Collins headed a corner wide for Villa but Kenny Dalglish’s side began to control possession as the half wore on and Martin Skrtel went close after 36 minutes, nodding wide from a Steven Gerrard set piece.

Liverpool had appeals for a penalty turned away before the interval as Suarez twisted and turned in the box and went down under minimal contact from Hutton.

The best chance of the half fell to Kuyt however, who latched onto a ball from Gerrard after a Suarez cross, but hammered it over the bar and high into the stands from point-blank range with an open goal at his mercy.

Shortly after the break Suarez went close as he glanced a Gerrard cross, but could only watch the ball bounce agonisingly off the inside of the post, before Given pushed it away from danger.

With over an hour played McLeish signalled his intent to hold onto the lead rather than enhance it, replacing Emile Heskey with Gary Gardner.

Dalglish responded, bringing on Andy Carroll for Downing, while Jonjo Shelvey was replaced by Craig Bellamy, who flashed a shot wide within seconds of coming on.

Gardner was presented with the opportunity to test Doni, but his shot was tame and straight at the stand-in goalkeeper from 20 yards.

Andreas Weimann was brought on for goal scorer Herd with the game approaching the closing stages, while Daniel Agger made his return from injury in place of Jose Enrique.

Suarez was never far from the action and was booked for simulation after going down easily for the second time following a challenge from Stephen Ireland.

With 10 minutes left two of the Liverpool substitutes went close, as Bellamy rifled into the frame of the goal after a James Collins clearance and Agger’s driven effort drifted wide.

But just a minute later the hosts finally equalised, when Gerrard’s cross was headed onto the bar by Agger, before Suarez stepped in to force home the rebound.

Gerrard tested Given once more late on, but Liverpool could not find a way through and had to settle for a point against a struggling Villa side.