Aston Villa leapfrogged Liverpool into fifth place in the English Premier League on Saturday despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Blackburn Rovers.

Ashley Young's 71st-minute free-kick helped give Villa a share of the points after Roque Santa Cruz had put the visitors ahead just five minutes before.

The result lifted Villa one point ahead of Liverpool, who have two games in hand.

Blackburn should have taken the lead on 20 minutes when a foul by Nigel Reo-Coker on David Bentley gave the visitors a penalty.

But Scott Carson saved Matt Derbyshire's spot-kick and Rovers had to wait until midway through the second half before they went ahead, when Dunn fed Santa Cruz who finished well.

Villa responded within four minutes, though, as Steven Reid fouled Gabriel Agbonlahor about 25 yards from goal and Young rattled in the equaliser with a superb strike.

Substitute Marlon Harewood then hit the bar for the home side and Young also almost won it for Villa with another free-kick in the dying minutes but the two sides had to settle for a point which left Rovers eighth, three points behind Villa.

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