Aston Villa 6-1 Sunderland: Safety in sight for Villa

Aston Villas Christian Benteke completes his hat-trick against Sunderland last night. Picture: PA

Scorers: Aston Villa - Vlaar (31), Weimann (38), Benteke (55, 59, 72), Agbonlahor (88); Sunderland - Rose (32)

Referee: L Probert

Attendance: 37,428

As they celebrated their success over a Sunderland outfit whose shuddering halt to their mini-revival included a red card for Stephane Sessegnon, the home fans wasted no time in taunting Paolo di Canio, who, when he came here with Swindon earlier this season, indicated Villa were on their way down.

Instead, Di Canio’s Sunderland outfit, like Villa and Newcastle, are on 37 points.

It is not a secure position by any means. But the team most obviously affected by this amazing result are FA Cup finalists Wigan, who have now been cut adrift, and have only four matches left to do something about it.

“The most important thing was to win. We started well and got the goal,” said Villa manager Lambert. “First and foremost we had to win the game. We were playing against a Sunderland team bang in form. To get the goals we did, it gives us a great impetus to go to Norwich [at the weekend]. We have put a lot of teams in the mix, pulled away from Wigan and are playing really well.”

PFA Young Player of the Year nominee Benteke might have added the second-half gloss but the touchpaper to a thrilling evening had been lit by a pair of memorable strikes from two players who would have had the longest odds to score first.

If you are going to wait until the dregs of April to score your first goal of the season, it is best to make it worth the wait.

In that regard, both Ron Vlaar and Danny Rose fulfilled their obligations. Both were different. Both were high class, in keeping with a thoroughly absorbing contest which, if lacking in finesse, was rip-roaring entertainment nonetheless.

Vlaar’s effort was brutal.

After a couple of brave blocks inside the Sunderland penalty area, the ball shot back towards the halfway line, where Vlaar collected on the edge of the centre circle, the invitation to advance clear. The big Dutchman surged forward but was still 30 yards out when he let fly and left Mignolet a bystander.

For a crowd who could not be faulted for their backing, but whose worries were never far from the surface, it was a moment of ecstasy. Typically, it was followed almost immediately by the nausea of fear.

As Rose set off from his left back berth, there didn’t seem much for Villa to worry about. But after first exchanging passes with Craig Gardner, then Danny Graham, Rose powered on into the box, delivering a superb finish that brought the visitors level. It summed up Villa’s season. Nineteen games they have gone now since their last Premier League clean sheet, which doesn’t leave Lambert having to look far for the reasons why his side have been in such a precarious position for so long. Yet for all their faults, Lambert’s youngsters have so much character. Rather than nervously hang about, Matthew Lowton picked his moment to make an astute interception before firing forward at top speed. Sunderland were caught with too many men forward, Lowton delivered a fine crossfield pass and an unmarked Andreas Weimann finished the job. And ten minutes into the second period, Villa had a third as Mignolet was deceived by Gabriel Agbonlahor’s piledriver and Benteke, onside, was all alone to nod the rebound into an empty net.

The Belgian has been the undoubted bright spot of a grim season for the Midlands giants. And he had only just got started on his evening’s work as he rose above Cueller to steer home a far post header before driving his third past a shellshocked Mignolet, his 22nd goal of an incredible campaign.

In between, Sessegnon was dismissed for a tackle that flattened Yacouba Sylla and left Di Canio raging. The Italian’s misery was complete in the final minute as Agbonlahor raced round Mignolet to end the rout.

“We have to apologise to our club, the fans, they travel and it is not fair,” said Di Canio. “It is not acceptable tonight.”

Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Bennett, Westwood, Delph, Sylla, Weimann, Benteke (Bent 79), Agbonlahor. Subs not used: Given, N’Zogbia, Holman, Bowery, Bannan, Lichaj.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, O’Shea, Cuellar, Rose, Larsson (McClean 61), N’Diaye, Gardner (Vaughan 86), Johnson, Sessegnon, Graham (Mandron 85). Subs not used: Westwood, Kilgallon, Colback, Mangane.