John

Arsenal will need a win for their own purposes against Wigan unlike WBA and QPR yesterday for example. If they lose or even draw it will hurt them and will help their neighbours end the season above them and in the CL in their place. If Wigan win it will not be because Arsenal are not concerned about winning or losing so I for one cannot see them winning twice against the odds so soon. Go Gunners!!

"With that elbow Benteke was lucky to be on the pitch to get a second yellow". But unlucky to get that second yellow having stayed on Houlston? "Terry should have gone for taking out Sylla, Cole wouldn't have got back. Then should have got a second yellow smacking Weimann into the face, he got lucky as Andi didn't make a meal of it, unlike Terry". I am not 100% on a straight red for the first but I think 2 yellows would have been reasonable Oaks but Mason was not prepared to send off 2 of their players so soon and was looking already to even things up for the TV. "We can't blame decisions for loosing this match. Chelsea had one scrambled off the line - which may have been over - Guzan made 2 more top notch saves. Wasn't there a rule a few years back - that unless it was a straight red - you didn't miss the next match ?" Until we have these goal line decisions taken away from the officials as will happen next season the naked eye will never be able to say 100% whether it was a goal or not in real time smetrov and Guzan is there to make top notch saves so I think the referee did play a significant part in influencing the result of this match. I had also not been sure on the red card situation and had thought it might even be worth appealing it in case given the potential importance of our next game and the possibility that any ban next season might not be served with us or may not be as decisive at the start of next season as it may be at the end of this one.

Source: Player Match Ratings - A game and season changing decision?

This game turned on a refereeing decision that was made on the 58th minute. It was then that referee Mason took the opportunity he had been longing for to even up the playing numbers having earlier reduced Chelsea to ten men, although given the difference the player we lost makes to us the advantage was with them after both sending offs. Should the unthinkable happen on Tuesday night that decision would leave us going into a last day survival fight without our talisman and leading goal scorer. It was a harsh decision to give Benteke a second yellow. Some would argue he should have had a straight red for an unnecessary elbow on Azpilicueta but he did not so that should have had no bearing on the matter although I think that it may have contributed to the decision made on the second yellow. Others would point to Terry avoiding a second yellow card when his hand made contact with Weimann’s face which would have brought Chelsea down to nine men after his earlier cynical challenge on Sylla when our player had beat him for pace but Mason was prepared to gamble on Cole’s pace being enough to prevent Sylla from having a clear scoring opportunity which allowed him to keep him on the field up until then. But, if another player was to be sent off it seemed inevitable it would be one wearing a claret & blue shirt. Mason had set his own precedent when giving Ramires a second yellow on 45 minutes following his successive wild raised foot challenges with studs showing on Sylla and then Gabby, so when Benteke did something similar he may have felt he had consistency on his side. But Benteke had not looked for Terry and was looking to control the ball rather than to win it as was Nani when he got a red in similar circumstances. A warning would for me have been enough for both but their controversial returning captain having witnessed Ramires going off in similar circumstances at close hand went down like he had been shot determined to see us go to ten men as had they. Referee Mason obliged him and they equalized shortly afterwards with our team still in a state of shock. So Mason’s decision had a crucial impact on whether we might claim the 3 points to secure our safety or the point which may have secured our safety beyond any reasonable doubt which we had looked likely to do as a minimum before his intervention. It also denied Benteke the chance to become the first Villa player to score 20 league goals since Peter Withe did in our championship year and it could yet have a considerable and for us a devastating impact on our relegation battle. It also serves as an example of how far it seems officials are prepared to go to eliminate physical contact from our game to the extent that Chelsea’s Chopper Harris had he been playing today would have been odds against to finish any game during the entire season he was actually free from suspension to play in! We started the game very brightly and threatened a rare win against one of the usual Champions League contenders when we went a goal up. Up until the referee stole the show I think we had shaded the game but they took heart from the absence of Benteke who plays like a young Drogba for us and we lost the man advantage along with the width that Gabby had been providing us with up until then. It was a game that we were unlucky to get nothing from. After it we have gained just 2 points from top 6 teams this season and Frank Lampard has once again proved to be a thorn in our side. He just loves scoring against us doesn’t he? In much the same way as did Bobby Tambling the player whose scoring record he broke yesterday and who scored 5 at Villa Park against us in 1966). But yesterday did not belong to referee Mason, or even to Frank Lampard it was a day that belonged to Stan and that gave thousands of us an opportunity to give him a warm farewell, to thank him for his services in our shirt, to wish him the very best of luck and victory in his tough battle. My player ratings from a game that has left us still looking over our shoulder at games today and on Tuesday although with confidence that it will not be us that ultimately join QPR and Reading in the league below are: Brad Guzan – 8 – Mata put Ba clear in the box on 23 minutes and Brad did so well to close him down and block his effort. He then got a late hand to a Lampard free kick from the edge of the box that skidded on the damp surface to push it onto the post and then was alert to the danger putting the loose ball to safety before it could be hit home by an incoming opponent. On 82 minutes he kept out a Luiz free kick that was lifted over the wall and that moved in the air. Eric Lichaj – 6 – Proved an able replacement for the injured Lowton. Had a cross on 66 minutes that was deflected onto the top of the netting by Cole. Ron Vlaar – 7 – Another solid performance. Nathan Baker – 7 – Took an early yellow card on 4 minutes when he won the ball from Mata but the referee was unhappy with his challenge but he did not let the prospect of getting a second yellow get in the way of another good performance. Although at times his defending can seem a little “last ditch” he does have the happy knack of winning balls on a regular basis. Joe Bennett - 7 – He is getting better with each home game and this was another good outing for him. Had a 55th minute shot deflected just wide off Azpilicueta. Yacouba Sylla – 8 – Made a very solid hard working contribution in our midfield before understandably fading a little in the last 20 minutes. Some nice touches of skill to boot. Fabian Delph – 9 – MOTM – A superb performance. Picked the ball up just inside their half on 17 minutes and ran on until hitting a shot that curled just past the post from the edge of the box. He is not scoring the goals he did at Leeds but he is now playing consistently like the player we thought we had signed from them before injuries interrupted his development and progress. Fabian ran the show for us yesterday. Ashley Westwood – 8 – Another very sound performance. Ashley forced a save from Cech on 87 minutes after Delph had found him on the edge of the box and the keeper parried away his well targeted low shot. Did well to clear the ball off the line (if he actually quite did) on 72 minutes under pressure from Ba after Sylla had halted Cahill’s effort on the line himself which then spun back towards, onto and at least partially over the goal line. Gabriel Agbonlahor- 7 – Worked hard and used his pace well such as on 47 minutes when his strong run from just inside his own half was only brought to an end by Cahill at the expense of a corner. Andreas Weimann – 6 – Another hard working display and his running posed a threat to Chelsea’s defence. Christian Benteke – 7 – Gave us the lead on 14 minutes with a shot that found the gap between the post and Cech’s outstretched leg. He knocked the ball down to Sylla who then played the ball back to him, he then took the ball past Cahill and hit his 19th league goal of the season and our 45th. He will learn to be wary of referees who may look for the opportunity to penalise his old fashioned style of strong centre forward play and I hope it will be in our shirt next season to show we are not a selling club after all. Stay up the Villa! Stay strong captain, have a long and happy retirement and thanks for leading us by example both on and off the field! John Lewis

The news that Stilyan Petrov is to be added to our Hall of Fame is to be applauded and it is both well merited and timely. But I am shocked given our proud history and that this hall of fame was created in 2006 that it comprises of just 12 names. Whilst I fully appreciate that a hall of fame needs to be an exclusive list that reflects only those that have given above and beyond the norm to our football club I think that more than 12 names must already be deserving of this accolade. Gordon Cowans, Eric Houghton, Brian Little, Dennis Mortimer, Ron Saunders, Peter Withe, Paul McGrath, Peter McParland, Charlie Aitken, William McGregor, George Ramsay, Billy Walker are shortly to be joined by Stan when the club website's history section is redeveloped at the start of the 2013-14 campaign. Surely there are others that also merit a place on that roll of honour? I would suggest Archie Hunter, Fred Rinder, James Cowan, Charlie Athersmith, John Devey, Joe Bache, Billy George, Howard Spencer, Tommy Smart, Dicky York, Harry Hampton, Pongo Waring, Harry Parkes, Johnny Dixon, Andy Gray, Tony Barton, Graham Taylor, John Gidman, Jimmy Rimmer, Allan Evans, Nigel Spink, Gary Shaw and Tony Morley to start with. There will be others such as the rest of the 1980 – 82 players for example that merit consideration. But who would you add to that list that have hung up their boots or are no longer managing or working in another capacity at our football club?

Great news that Stan is to be added to our hall of fame.

You will be and have been missed this season in our shirt and as our playing captain Stan. Stay strong, enjoy the additional time your retirement from the game will give you with your family and thanks for what you have done for our football club. I look forward to seeing you at Villa Park on Saturday post game and do come back and see us at Villa Park when you are free to do so in future seasons. Thanks captain!

Only the second best manager at their football club for me. I would like to think they will sink in the same way as they did when their best manager (Matt Busby) left but it was a more even playing field back then and they have the money to stay in the top 3 for many seasons to come even if I was to take over as their boss (although I would never manage to beat the Villa for some strange reason in that capacity). Hands off our boss is all I would say on who they go for as their replacement and the same would apply to Everton. By the way has anyone else heard the PMs reference to us when talking about Fergie's departure on Sky Sports News?

"A very highly rated youngster - but just never improved no matter how many first team games he got." I think that may have been part of the problem smetrov. I think if Lambo could have done he would have taken him out of the firing line but with others out he was one of the few fit central defenders we had so he was expected to hold a young defence together and also at times to captain the side. To expect him to play game after game was placing a lot of pressure on the lad and we had risked his future as we had that of other young players by throwing them into a full season. Some have thrived on the pressure others have not and I hope he may come again next season as we have as a football club at the end of this one.

"Dunno if it makes it any easier, but if 10 teams are in a relegation battle then it doesn't reflect as badly on us." I see where you are coming from StephanAVFC but I think our being in a relegation battle and being on 40 points with only 2 games to go does reflect badly on us and we cannot rely on getting out of this mess season in and season out as Wigan may show us this season. What does reflect well on us is the support the team and manager has been given this season and the way the young players have responded when the going has got tough at the crucial season end.

"i think there is stat - that no team - 5 points clear with 3 games to go has ever been relegated. - and we only have 2 games to go". You think right smetrov I quoted it in my player match ratings and it has not happened since the PL began.

I am happy for anyone other than us to go down and it now looks likely that if Wigan are to stay up it will be at someone else's expense and they will need to beat us to do it. It will be nice to see them and say one or more of Sunderland, Norwich, Newcastle or Southampton reliant on what we do on the last day rather than the other way around. It is not over until the fat lady sings but she is in the wings waiting for her introduction!

One more point would be enough from our last 2 games and all of the other results would need to go against us for us to go down on 40 points. As Ron Saunders once said "Do you want to bet against us?" and if so the bookies will oblige no doubt.

"Let's put it this way, if Alpay had been defending at Gallipoli in World War 1 in 1915 then the great war would have ended 3 years earlier than the record books show!" I applaud the historical reference villa-revolution and I recall he may have had Becks by the Dardanelles once in the tunnel at half time but up to then he was a decent central defender for us but he was dire afterwards and I think when he said afterwards on having had his contract terminated "I wanted to leave Aston Villa anyway. I am happy that we have resolved the situation." any objection I might have had in including him in the team went out the window it suggests he may have done this in an international game to work his way out of our club... .

Great news Australia and South Africa at Villa Park I will be there.

My 11 are: Kiraly Hutton Ghrayib Agathe Boulding Curcic Djemba Djemba Lamptey Berson Balaban De Bilde

"Would like to see him at Villa IMO". I had thought the same pre-season Avflife but had expected he would take the opportunity his move away from Citeh would offer him to kick on again but he has not done so. Whether he would do so for us is now open to further question than it had been previously and I would guess Lambo would think long and hard before risking any money he may get for the next window on players who once looked good and to have the potential to get better but who have not maintained that level of performance or built upon it.

"So Stephen Ireland any news n where that boyo will be playing next season? Any leeks on possible moves for him?" Is it Swansea or more likely Cardiff Richard?

I really thought he could become a star gilbertoAVFC but like others before him and no doubt following him he and his agent put higher wages and sitting on a bench more often than not in front of playing games and developing as a player. He is not the first or last English or I would suggest Irish player to appear over-hyped but he still has time on his side to make things right if he has the will to do it.

Source: Player Match Ratings – Lions roar and maul Black Cats!

Paulo Di Canio said of Villa Park before last night’s game “For me, it’s like going to the theatre or seeing Pavarotti when he was still alive. It’s an easy place to go”. Nessun dorma, Paulo? Vincerò! vincerò, vincerò! could very well have been Paul Lambert’s reply. Our first 6 goal haul in the league at Villa Park in 18 years when we hit 7 past Wimbledon and a second half hat-trick from our leading scorer made it a night to remember last night. The win was crucial and anything less could have proved too deflating to come back from. It is not over yet but it just could be if we can clinch another 3 points at the weekend. Sunderland came to Villa Park on a high after two league wins but their bubble was well and truly burst last night. They started well and for the first 20 minutes had most of the possession but our opening goal set the stadium alight and not even an early equalizer could quench our hunger for the points because our heads did not go down and we went into the break a goal up with all to play for. The second half produced three more goals for us and the amazing 10 goal turnaround with Newcastle has left them behind us on goal difference as are Wigan who now trail us by five points. Jubilant Villa fans said “We want 7” near the end and Sunderland humorously responded with “We want 2”. So Paulo with hindsight may perhaps wish he had not goaded the lions pre-match as we followed up our cup win at Swindon with a second win against a team he was leading in his own inimitable manner to claim 9 goals in two games against him this season. He stood pitch side with his suit getting wetter and wetter, listening to the terraces giving operatic renditions of their own aimed in his direction and seeing his team put to the sword and placed again in the relegation threatened pack that now sit on 37, 38 or 39 points with 3 games to go. But on the positive side Paulo did join our applause on 19 minutes and that shows he does have some respect for the battle our club captain is waging when up to then respect was not one of the things he could readily be accused of (other than showing a lack of it). My player ratings from a game that has left us probably just one win from safety given no team who were 5 points clear with 3 games to go have ever been relegated in Premier League history (although Wigan do have a game in hand) are: Brad Guzan – 7 – Beaten by Rose for their nicely worked equalizer having little chance with that and came out to but failed to get anything on to a ball that Gardner brought down on his chest and fired across the goal on 7 minutes. Gratefully clutched the ball in the last minute of added time after Mandron had got above our defence to get a header on target from a corner to maintain our much improved goal difference and had taken no chance on 41 minutes that N’Diaye’s shot might creep in by claiming the ball near the foot of the post. Did well to speak to his defenders after we went ahead again and before the re-start to remind them that we did not want to concede another goal just after we had gone ahead. Matthew Lowton – 9 – An outstanding game and he really is beginning to look a bargain and a proper player. Showed terrific foresight when intercepting the ball in his own half in the build up to our so important second. Ron Vlaar – 8 – Rocket Ronnie hit a wonder goal to open the scoring on 31 minutes when he picked up a clearance from a Westwood shot just inside their half, moved purposefully forward and hit a powerful shot from 30 yards that beat Mignolet and was a touch reminiscent of Chris Nichol’s Cup Final goal out of nothing in 1977. Nathan Baker – 7 – Solid and spared Guzan’s blushes on 7 minutes when he turned Gardner’s ball over safely out for a corner. Joe Bennett - 7 – Did very well last night. I had some concerns about him coming up against Johnson before the game those proved to be unfounded. Yacouba Sylla – 7 – Improved as the game wore on and was solid in the middle showing again that he can have a part in our future. Fabian Delph – 7 – Played his part in securing the win demonstrating his willingness to work tirelessly again. Ashley Westwood – 8 – The best performer of our midfield three last night for me he was constantly making himself available. Gabriel Agbonlahor- 8 – You could see how much this meant to him with the hard running and commitment he gave in our shirt. Might have claimed a goal on 26 minutes when he played a nice one two with Benteke and then turned the ball past the keeper but inches wide of the post. His 87th minute goal gave him the reward that his performance deserved when he rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into the unprotected net after being put in by a slack Vaughan back pass. Andreas Weimann – 8 – Andreas was unlucky not to score a second on 65 minutes when from a tight angle Benteke’s wayward shot fell to him inside the box and his shot was kept out by Mignolet and then Cuellar cleared his subsequent effort off the line. He also forced a save from the keeper on 85 minutes after Bent had played the ball back to him. He struck on 37 minutes when Lowton did so well to read a pass, intercept it move forward with pace and then play a sweet ball through to Andreas who controlled it well and hit his shot past the onrushing Mignolet and inside the far post for our second. Christian Benteke – 10 – MOTM – A hat-trick and his goals have proved so important to us in our fight for our Premier League lives. Gabby jinked his way past a couple of defenders on the edge of the box on 55 minutes before hitting a shot that took a deflection off Bardsley which Mignolet was only able to parry away into Christian’s path who stooped low to head the ball home. His second and our fourth came on the hour when he leapt like a salmon to power in a header at the far post from a Westwood corner. His third came on 72 minutes after Westwood had taken the ball off Cuellar and fed Gabby whose ball got an unlucky touch from the same ex-Villa defender that presented the ball to Benteke on the edge of the box who ran between two defenders and hit the ball into the net between Mignolet and his near post. Substitutes: Darren Bent – Replaced Benteke on 79 minutes. Not on long enough to earn a rating. Stay up the Villa and Stay Strong Captain! John Lewis

"Wasn't there over 60,000 in the ground?" There were 58,667 of us Paul although I do not recall an inch of space on the terraces and it felt nearer 68,667 on the night.

"yes i take offence to an Italian who achieved comparatively little in this country basically disrespecting this club & its fans as an irrelevance!". Yes, I also recall him making it clear he thought we were going down after we had beaten Swindon at their place with his wild post match display. I would like to do him for a second time this season as well danceoftheshamen!

There is a lesson for Randy I think in Wolves second relegation. Morgan has put balance sheets in front of what is happening on the pitch and has sold players without replacing them on a like for like basis. Although Randy put a lot of money into the club at first and Morgan never has, Randy's spending has dried up post MON and we have suffered on the pitch as a result. He really needs to back his manager this summer and should the likes of Benteke go and we stay up then we need to spend the money we get on new players rather than on recouping money spent on earlier investments. If we do take the drop we need to avoid following the example set by Wolves when they were relegated and failed to invest money back into the team to make a strong run for promotion. This season was far too high a risk to take with our football club and lessons need to be learned for next season if we are to avoid a repeat of this season's struggle or to make a fist of getting back at the first time of asking should the unthinkable happen.

I think Wolves players are a bit shop soiled after their last 2 seasons. Doyle might still be worth a shout at a new club as they will need to move high earners off their books but possibly only should we take their place in the division below and so lose strikers we now have in place.