Liverpool's Steven Gerrard looks dejected during their FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa at the Wembley Stadium, April 19, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

GERRARD BACK

The opening spell was cagey but Villa more than held their own against a Liverpool side who had Gerrard back after a three-match suspension.

But the Liverpool skipper, who has strutted the Wembley pitch so many times for England, made little impact even though his side took the early lead.

Villa, though, were far from deflated and levelled when Benteke struck his ninth goal in his last seven matches.

Rodgers continually tinkered with his formation and brought striker Mario Balotelli on as a halftime replacement for Lazar Markovic but the Italian never seriously troubled the Villa back line.

He fluffed one glancing header, although the linesman's flag was in any case raised for offside, and then, with time running out, he did put the ball in the net only to be ruled offside again, this time more controversially.

Gerrard's final act in the drama saw his looping header cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson as Villa held on for a famous win.