Aston Villa vs Liverpool - player ratings

Standard Sport assesses the individual performances from the FA Cup semi-final between Aston Villa and Liverpool.

Villa have reached the FA Cup final for the first time since 2000.

Fabian Delph’s strike from close range in the second half proved to be the winner after Philippe Coutinho’s opener was cancelled out by Christian Benteke’s goal.

Tim Sherwood will now try and lead his side to glory against Arsenal in the final next month.

Both sides made a tentative start to the game. Raheem Sterling, tasked with spearheading the Liverpool attack, drove forward in the opening stages but couldn’t force his way past Nathan Baker or Ron Vlaar.

It was Villa who came close to taking the lead after 12 minutes. After receiving Benteke’s carefully-timed flick, Charles N’Zogbia tried a shot from outside the Liverpool penalty area but Simon Mignolet tipped it over.

Liverpool took the lead with 30 minutes gone. Coutinho and Sterling linked up before the Brazilian carefully placed his right-footed shot to the left of Given.

The Liverpool fans had just about finished celebrating when Villa equalised.

Fabian Delph played a one-two with Jack Grealish before the England international squared the ball to Benteke whose shot slid away from Mignolet and into the bottom corner.