O'Neill joy after Barry faces Reds

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill praised Gareth Barry for his performance as he faced Liverpool for the first time since the collapse of his transfer to Anfield.

The two sides met yesterday in a largely forgettable match that ended goal-less at Villa Park.

O'Neill said: "Gareth did very well. He has had a lot to cope with in recent weeks with all the speculation - three weeks ago I would have imagined he would be playing against us.

"It wasn't to be and we are pretty pleased and relieved that he is with us for the foreseeable future, and I thought it didn't bother him.

"He was getting a bit tired towards the end so I put him in at left-back where he can still be very solid for us."

O'Neill is now hoping Villa can be a test for all the leading sides as they bid to break into the top four.

He said: "When people talk about the records being not so good against these teams, I can only judge from the last couple of seasons and the points on the table."