Connoisseurs of English football regard the Liverpool side of the 1976-77 season to be one of the club's best ever.

Not only did they win the First Division title and reach the FA Cup final, where they were beaten 2-1 by rivals Manchester United, they also lifted the first of their five European Cups thanks to a 3-1 victory over German side Borussia Monchengladbach.

Yet, almost halfway through that successful campaign and 39 years ago today, Bob Paisley's men, who ended up having the best defensive record in the division, were blown away during the opening 45 minutes of their clash at Villa Park.

Hosting Aston Villa were one of the division's form sides, particularly when you consider that they had lost just one of their previous 11 games in all competitions. Yet, that one defeat was inflicted by the visiting Merseysiders, who ran out 3-0 winners at Anfield thanks to goals from Ian Callaghan, Terry McDermott and Kevin Keegan.

But, from the moment that Andy Gray headed in a John Deehan cross with 10 minutes on the clock, Villa seemed determined to gain revenge for that result.

Deehan raced through just two minutes later to make it 2-0 to Villa and then in the 22nd minute he capitalised on a poor pass from Callaghan to beat Ray Clemence for a second time.

Villa, managed by Ron Saunders, were now in rampant mood and they made it 4-0 with 31 minutes played when full-back John Gidman crossed for Brian Little to find the back of Clemence's net.

Liverpool's Ray Kennedy then reduced the arrears, but the final say on the half fittingly went to Villa as Gray rose above Phil Thompson to power in a header.

Unsurprisingly the Villa faithful gave the players a standing ovation as the two teams headed back to the dressing room at the break, while Liverpool were shell-shocked. After all, they had conceded five goals in their last eight games and then all of sudden the same number had been shipped in just 45 first-half minutes.

As is often the case in these sort of encounters, the pace slackened dramatically after the restart, as neither team was able to trouble the scoresheet any further.

Reflecting on the game, Liverpool defender Joey Jones said: "We were 1-5 down when we trooped off at half-time. Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran and Roy Evans were waiting and each delivered his rollicking in his own particular way.

"Joe lost his cool, to say the least, and when he did that we all sat up. Then Bob, Ronnie and Roy gave their verdicts. No matter how big the name, we all caught it in the neck. I had never known anything like it."

Villa: Findlay; Gidman, Young, Phillips, Robson; Mortimer, Cropley (Buttress), Little, Carrodus; Gray, Deehan

Liverpool: Clemence; Neal, Thompson, Hughes, Jones; McDermott, Kennedy, Callaghan, Heighway; Keegan, Johnson