Dominic Fifield

At Anfield

After the victory comes the reality check. Not every England striker in these parts whose future hangs disconcertingly in the air has an open invitation to pop down to Melwood and open contract talks. "I've got to merit a new deal," admitted Emile Heskey, "but I realise I'm playing for my future here."

While Liverpool wait with bated breath to tie Michael Owen to a long-term commitment, their prospects apparently rosier by the day, Heskey remains on edge in his strike partner's shadow. Both he and Owen are contracted to the summer of 2005 but, where Gerard Houllier can barely wait to open dialogue with the latter's representative Tony Stephens on his return from abroad early next month, Heskey's talking must be done on the pitch.

The nagging knowledge that Djibril Cisse, a French international of genuine pedigree, will arrive this summer has added to the 26-year-old's concerns. The Auxerre striker could end up costing as much as £14.2 million, eclipsing the club record £11 million forked out on Heskey.

With his position far from guaranteed at Anfield, Heskey's displays have been more brutish than becalmed in recent weeks. Aside from a rugged win which stretched their unbeaten run to five matches, Liverpool could take as much heart from the unsettling power demonstrated by their much-maligned striker as they could from the return of Owen at his side. Neither may have scored, but their threat was obvious.

"The coming weeks are definitely crucial ones for me," said Heskey, whose header from Harry Kewell's cross was deflected in off Mark Delaney's backside to secure success. Goals, and wins, are accepted any which way they come these days on Merseyside. "I don't want to go anywhere, but I have to be playing in the side regularly to improve my chances of getting to Euro 2004.

"And I'm not getting any younger, either. I've always been a confidence player, but I don't know why it's suddenly come good. I heard bits and bobs about Cisse coming but that was late last week, so it hasn't affected me. My future's always on the line; you have to be performing at this club or someone will come in and take your place."

At the moment both form and confidence merit his selection and, where a week ago there was nothing but doom and gloom, now Liverpool's prospects appear more promising. This may have been a gruesome victory, frustrated by Owen's close-range shot on to the crossbar and late opportunities passed up wastefully by Kewell, but it was a win nevertheless. Owen's latest hint that his future could yet remain on Merseyside offered the gloss.

"This is going to be the main contract of my career so it has to be right," said the England vice-captain who made his first start in six weeks, though he is still waiting on completing a first 90 minutes since September 28th.

"I have a family to look after now, but I like the lads here and I like the management staff. Everything is in place for me to stay."

That was not a new revelation but, in the aftermath of last week's fractious a.g.m., it remains a sound-bite to which Liverpool's recently disgruntled fans can cling. Fourth place, for all its limited ambition, remains within reach.

This win over a much improved if still unspectacular Aston Villa was dedicated to the memory of the Liverpool scout Jim Aspinall, who died last week. Aspinall discovered Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. "For that, this club owes him a debt that can never really be repaid," said Houllier. The manager had his own thanks for his debutant Paul Jones for saving Darius Vassell's near-post volley.

The home side's margin of victory should have been extended by the end. "Their agenda is completely different to our own," stressed David O'Leary. "They have to win home games like these if they are to reach the Champions League."

Guardian Service