AMSTERDAM – Brad Guzan's Aston Villa were done in by a flurry of missed chances on Saturday afternoon, as their Premier League win drought reached seven games with a 2-0 home loss to Liverpool.
The US netminder, who has seen just one goal of support from his teammates during the current slide, notched three saves to keep them in the contest until Rickie Lambert added Reds insurance 10 minutes from time. Guzan's best stop came to deny a Martin Škrtel header just after the break and he would later turn away a Lucas Leiva drive just before Liverpool grabbed their second.
With but one victory in their last nine league games at home, Villa stand three points above the danger line in 14th place.
Elsewhere, Geoff Cameron made a late midfield cameo to help warming Stoke City close out a 1-0 win at Leicester City. The Potters are 4-1-2 in their last seven league outings, tentatively pushing them into the better half of the table.
One league below in the Championship, Eric Lichaj shined at left back as Nottingham Forest got well with a 2-1 rally triumph at Derby County.
The Illinois native was a key player in moving the team forward on the day while also registering a team-high five tackles. With the visitors trailing near the half hour, Lichaj clinically dispossessed Johnny Russell as he was set to fire after pulling down a cross in the area. The victory, Forest's first in eight league games, lifted them to 12th.
Around the division, Tim Ream and Bolton got back on track with a rainy 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
The left back put in a decent shift that included three area shot blocks. Having lost just once since Halloween, Wanderers climbed to 14th place.
Daniel Williams solidly went the distance as roller coaster side Reading fell 2-1 at Fulham on a last-minute decider by Costa Rica ace Bryan Ruiz.
The US midfielder completed all 28 of his passes on the day, moving up to third on the league passing percentage chart for all players working at least 12 appearances on the season. Prior to his CONCACAF rival netting the winner, Williams had a curling effort from distance saved by the home 'keeper.
Also, Oguchi Onyewu watched on as free-falling Charlton suffered a 5-0 whooping at Watford. Winless in nine and shutout defeat victims in four of five, the Addicks dropped to 16th place.
Across the Channel, a pair of American exports also clocked in with Alejandro Bedoya and Nantes falling to their first Ligue 1 loss in over a month by a 1-0 count at Monaco.
Back in the No. 10 role after several games on right wing, Bedoya threatened the home goal three times, including a close shave try from distance shortly after intermission. The hard-working midfielder also pitched in with four tackles. The defeat dropped Nantes a rung to eighth place.
Over in the Eredivisie, Aron Jóhannsson worked 14 relief minutes as AZ Alkmaar tentatively pulled to within a point of the automatic Europa League ticket with a 2-0 home win over bottom feeders Dordrecht.
The US forward nearly piled on nine minutes from the end, only to be robbed on the doorstep. The Cheese Farmers posted their fifth clean sheet victory in the last seven league games to climb level on points with fourth place Feyenoord.
