Steven Gerrard could not resist a playful dig at Michael Owen's Manchester United past after his former Liverpool team-mate quizzed him on his return to Anfield as Aston Villa boss.
Gerrard was back at Liverpool for the first time in six years, having spent over 17 years at the club, making more than 700 appearances and captaining them to Champions League glory in 2005. Liverpool supporters gave him a standing ovation, but his side lost 1-0 to a Mohamed Salah penalty.
During a post-match interview alongside former team-mate Robbie Fowler, Owen interjected from a TV studio to ask about Gerrard's emotions on returning. Owen, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 and later signed for Manchester United, admitted he hated returning to Anfield as an opponent. Gerrard responded with a wry smile: 'If I'd played for Man U I'd hate coming back here too!'
Gerrard had made a promising start as Villa boss with three wins from four games before the defeat. He felt his side were unfortunate not to secure a draw, saying: 'There's certainly a gap in the levels of both teams... The plan was to contain them... But ultimately we have lost off the back of a penalty we believe was soft.'
