"We got out of jail on this occasion. I thought we were outplayed in the first half," said the Villa boss.
"It was pure quality in the first half and we simply couldn't live with them. But in the second half we were sharper, tightened up and matched Liverpool.
"I thought young Stephen Davis produced a fine performance in the second half after being a little overwhelmed in the first period.
"Steven Gerrard was world class on his first half performance, while Harry Kewell seemingly played better of late.
"Personally, I am at a loss to understand what has happened to him over the last 18 months."
Villa's never say die spirit was always evident despite the dominance of Liverpool in the first half.
Only Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have lost fewer Premiership games than Villa and they were determined to defend this record.
Kewell grabbed his first goal in 10 months but Nolberto Solano equalised direct from a free-kick one minute before half time to record his fourth goal in four successive home games.
Villa's start characterised their somewhat inconsistent season as they struggled to get to grips with the Merseysiders who produced some outstanding football as they threatened to run riot.
There was never a time in the first half that Liverpool were in danger of being upstaged yet they went in at the break on level terms.
Liverpool's interplay enabled them to elevate their match-winning prospects and Villa counted themselves extremely fortunate not to have conceded several goals in the first half when Gerrard was superb.
The Liverpool strikers controlled much of the play and only Thomas Sorensen denied them with several saves.
But Sorensen was all at sea when Liverpool deservedly stormed ahead in the
16th minute after Olof Mellberg conceded a foul on Dietmar Hamann.
Gerrard declined to take the direct route on goal. Instead he cleverly flighted the ball to the far post where Jamie Carragher headed his cross back to Kewell to nod home from close range.
Liverpool, still with only one away win to their credit, continued to advance smoothly with the promise of more goals.
Gerrard, however, was twice foiled by Sorensen, while the Villa goalkeeper brilliantly turned away another effort from Neil Mellor.
Villa's resistance was under real threat and it appeared as if Liverpool, unbeaten on their previous seven visits, would turn their superiority into a runaway win.
But the game turned on a single incident two minutes before the interval when Carragher's challenge on Gavin McCann resulted in a free-kick just outside Liverpool's penalty area.
Solano flighted his free-kick brilliantly around the wall and past Chris Kirkland into the roof of net for an equaliser that had not previously been on the cards.
The goal undoubtedly lifted Villa. Teenager Davis, often out of his depth with Liverpool in full flow, made a bigger contribution in the second half.
Sorensen continued to thwart Gerrard, while the closest Villa came to a winner was from another Solano free-kick which was flicked over the bar by Kirkland.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was full of praise for his team. He said: "It will be very difficult to have played better than we did in the first half.
"But we do need to score more goals and take advantage of the chances we are creating."
MAN OF THE MATCH: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) Head and shoulders above the rest and already back to his best after a long injury lay-off.