FA Cup semi-final match report: Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool
Aston Villa came from behind to shock Liverpool at Wembley and book their place in the FA Cup final against Arsenal next month.
An entertaining game appeared to be heading in Liverpool's favour when Raheem Sterling teed up Philippe Coutinho on 30 minutes, and the tricky Brazilian poked his team in front from close range with help from a deflection.
But it took little more than five minutes for Aston Villa - resurgent of late under Tim Sherwood - to find an expertly-crafted equaliser.
Top scorer Christian Benteke rounded off a wonderful passing move to bag his fourth goal in six matches, which ensured that Villa went into the break level with everyone's pre-match favourites.
Villa emerged from the interval still brimming with confidence and they needed less than ten minutes to take the lead for the first time.
England international Fabian Delph twisted and turned majestically in the box before slotting the ball past Simon Mignolet to send Villa's fans wild inside Wembley.
Steven Gerrard went close with a header five minutes from time, but the result means Liverpool's captain will end a 17 year senior stint at the club without a trophy in his final season.
Liverpool took the lead when Sterling weighted a pass perfectly for Coutinho to run on to and shoot past Villa goalkeeper Shay Given, aided by a deflection off Jores Okore.
The Brazil international had scored twice before in the run to Wembley, both winners, but any dreams he had of sending his side to the final were snuffed out six minutes later.
Delph and Grealish carved open the right side of Liverpool's newly-restructured defence and the former's pass to Benteke was stroked home first time.
A tactical switch by Rodgers at half-time saw Mario Balotelli replace Markovic and Gerrard dropped to the deep-lying role in a 4-1-4-1 shape he performed so well in Liverpool's failed title bid last season and that, at least, afforded him a little more time on the ball.
However, they appeared to lack ideas and leaders as their opponents sat back and countered with pace, with Villa's commitment typified by Ashley Westwood, who threw himself in the way of Joe Allen's shot as Liverpool stepped up the pressure.
Gerrard had one chance to make an impact on the game with a free-kick 10 minutes from time but his shot deflected off the wall and safely into the arms of Given, while Dejan Lovren headed over his captain's corner.
The Liverpool skipper knew it was not to be his day when his near-post header was cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson, while Balotelli being flagged offside - wrongly on this occasion - after putting the ball in net encapsulated his afternoon.
As Villa manager Tim Sherwood ran along the touchline celebrating at the final whistle Gerrard stood motionless, hands on hips, before dropping onto his haunches.
He knew it was not meant to end like this but, unlike in those famous episodes of his heyday, he could do nothing about it this time.