Villa reached rock bottom with that drubbing in the Barclays Premier League with Houllier accusing his players of giving up without a fight.
But it proved to be a turning point with Villa having lost only two of their 11 league and cup matches since that day of humiliation.
"It was the poorest performance of any team I have had in my life," said Houllier. "There was no soul, no attitude. In sport, you can be beaten but you never give up.
"It was the low point of my career. I never in my life, never, had a team that has given up so quickly. We looked resigned to things rather than trying to fight to get back into the game.
"We hit rock bottom there."
Source: PA
Source: PA