Victor Moses scored a stoppage-time penalty as Stoke City came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 in Tim Sherwood's first game as manager.
Scott Sinclair had given Villa the lead in the 20th minute when he headed in from Fabian Delph's cross.
However, the Potters levelled the scores on the stoke of half time when Stephen Ireland's delivery was nodded in by Mame Biram Diouf.
With the game heading towards a draw, Ron Vlaar gave away a penalty for bringing down Moses inside the box.
Moses then stepped up and slotted home the resulting spot kick to win the match for his side and subject Villa to a sixth-straight league defeat.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Good afternoon everyone! Following another great weekend of action in the FA Cup, the Premier League is back with a packed schedule. Two teams who had mixed fortunes in the cup will go head to head today, as Aston Villa welcome Stoke City to Villa Park.
Villa reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last week by claiming a 2-1 win over Leicester City, but that does little to mask a dreadful run of five straight league defeats. It ended up costing Paul Lambert his job and this afternoon Tim Sherwood will take to the dugout for the first time as manager as he bids to save the club from relegation.
Making the relatively short trip to Birmingham today are a Stoke side who seem to have hit a tricky patch. They were dumped out of the cup last weekend after a 4-1 defeat at Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers, while just days before they had lost at home to Manchester City by the same scoreline to make it three games without a win this month.
We have arrived at Villa Park... pic.twitter.com/Vcrz4J3MY7
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) February 21, 2015
The team sheets have been handed in at Villa Park, so let's have a look at which players have made their managers' starting lineups.
ASTON VILLA XI: Guzan, Hutton, Vlaar, Clark, Richardson, Sinclair, Sanchez, Delph, Gil, Agbonlahor, Benteke
STOKE XI: Begovic, Bardsley, Wollscheid, Wilson, Pieters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Walters, Ireland, Moses, Diouf
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Given, Westwood, Cissokho, Weimann, Cleverley, Bacuna, Okore
STOKE SUBS: Butland, Teixeira, Adam, Shenton, Sidwell, Arnautovic, Crouch
So, that's our teams look this afternoon. New Villa manager Tim Sherwood has made five changes from the cup win over Leicester. Gabby Agbonlahor and Carles Gil are back from injury, while Brad Guzan, Scott Sinclair and Carlos Sanchez also return to the starting lineup.
Stoke have also made five changes to their side after last weekend's cup exit. Asmir Begovic, Jonathan Walters, Marc Wilson, Erik Pieters and Stephen Ireland are the players that come into the starting XI. Captain Ryan Shawcross is still ruled out through injury, while Geoff Cameron is suspended.
Well, it's safe to say that Villa have had a pretty miserable season so far. They are currently 18th in the table and have not won for their past 10 league matches. That included a run of six games without even scoring a goal and following a 2-0 defeat at Hull in their last league outing, Paul Lambert was sacked.
VILLA v STOKE build-up picture: Villa Park looking glorious as always. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/ik3ZfiVnJR
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) February 21, 2015
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood has come in to replace him and he will certainly have a tough job of making sure that Villa are not relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history. Although he was appointed before last week's cup win against Leicester, his presence at the ground seemed to lift the fans and the players, with a talk he gave at half time credited as raising the players' spirits by caretaker boss Scott Marshall.
Sherwood's only previous experience as manager was a five-month spell at Tottenham last season. He managed to guide the club to a sixth-place finish and Europa League qualification, but despite a win percentage in the Premier League higher than any previous manager of the club, he was dismissed a couple of days after their campaign ended.
One of his major tasks will be to get Villa scoring goals again. The club have the worst record in front of goal by far and they have only found the net 12 times in 25 games. It's that kind of return which goes a long way to explaining their league position and was one of the major reasons why Lambert was dismissed.
Sherwood has described his team's next 13 league games as cup finals and you sense that their upcoming run of fixtures will be absolutely vital to their season. They are up against mid-table Newcastle next weekend, before facing West Brom in a relegation six-pointer. The Midlands rivals will then meet again in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, before Villa have another huge clash against fellow strugglers Sunderland.
While Stoke are not involved in the relegation battle like Villa, they have stuttered in recent weeks. A late goal against Newcastle salvaged a point in their first league match of February, but just days later they were thumped 4-1 by Manchester City. It got even worse last weekend, as Blackburn came from a goal down to put four past them and dump them out of the FA Cup.
The Potters are currently 10th in the league and while they are just a short distance away from the safety mark of 40 points, it looks as if a place in Europe is out of their grasp. Their defeat in the cup could have a knock on effect, as with little to play for now, complacency could creep into their game and see them drop out of the top half.
Maybe I am being a bit premature in suggesting a tough end to the season for Stoke, as before this month they had won six of their previous eight games. It doesn't help that they have suffered a bit of an injury crisis, with no less than eight players ruled out of today's match, while Geoff Cameron is banned for his red card last week.
These teams last met on the opening day of the season where a goal from Andreas Weimann shortly after the break was enough to give Villa a 1-0 victory. The club went on to win two of their next three games to move up to second in the league, but that good start quickly came to an end and they have since gone on to win just two matches in the top flight since.
© Getty Images
PREDICTION: We all know the impact that a new manager can have on a team and I expect Villa to start strongly today. Their problems in front of goal won't go away overnight, but signs of progress will encourage the crowd. I just feel that Stoke are there for the taking today and I am tipping Villa to win 2-1 to end their three and a half month wait for a league victory.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan is making his 100th successive start in the Premier League this afternoon. The last player to achieve the feat was a man that he will be trying to keep out this afternoon, Jonathan Walters.
VILLA v STOKE warm-up video: @BGuzan being put through his paces. #AVFC https://t.co/GxQ8vKFqnp
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) February 21, 2015
Both teams have made their way out of the dressing rooms and onto the pitch, with the start of the match now just a few minutes away!
KICKOFF! We are underway at Villa Park!
There isn't much to report in the opening minutes of the game, as the teams continue to feel each other out. One thing that has changed for Villa is the atmosphere in the ground, with the fans making plenty of noise.
Sinclair hasn't had too many chances to shine this season but he shows his quality with a great run to the byline. He then looks to pull the ball across the box for Agbonlahor, but Wollscheid gets back in time to put it behind for a corner.
In the past few months Stoke have begun to see a lot of the ball in the Villa half and they are causing some dangerous moments for the back four. We are still yet to see our first attempt on goal and that comes as little surprise due to the previous results we have seen this season at Villa Park.
The lack of action in these early moments of the game hasn't dampened the positive mood of the crowd, but you feel that the home side must score first today. If Stoke were to take the lead, it would just take the sting out of the occasion and lead to the same frustrations they have experienced in recent months.
It must be said that the conditions at Villa Park have not made it easy for the players. We've had rain and snow already here, but in the past couple of minutes the weather seems to have eased up slightly.
Ireland has a slight opening for the visitors when he is picked out at the back post from Pieters' cross, but he is unable to make decent contact and his header is easy stopped by the keeper.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Stoke City (Scott Sinclair)
Aston Villa have lift off! They take the lead with their first effort on goal, as Delph's cross from the left is headed in by Sinclair. That is just what Villa needed and it's a perfect start for Sherwood!
Villa are bursting with confidence now and they very nearly score a second. The Stoke defence fail to deal with a long ball and Sinclair steals it on the edge of the box. He just ends up taking one touch too many and Stoke are able to clear before Agbonlahor can get a shot away, but this is great period in the game for the hosts.
What a tackle by Clark! Walters is slipped in behind and takes the ball beyond Guzan, but Clark is back to make a fantastic saving challenge and stop what surely would have been a goal for the visitors.
SHOT! Stoke have responded well to going behind and they are beginning to find space in some promising positions. This time it's Moses who receives the ball just outside the box before drilling a low strike, but it's hit straight down the middle and is comfortable for Guzan to save.
The visitors continue to show more of a threat and at the moment they look more likely to score the next goal. Neither team are looking particularly comfortable at the back tough, with a number of poor free kicks being given away at the moment.
YELLOW CARD! Wollscheid picks up the first booking of the afternoon for a foul on Sinclair.
It's just not quite clicking for Stoke in the final third at the moment. Once again Moses gets into a decent position down the left and has a chance to cross, but he overruns the ball and Hutton is able to come across and see it out of play.
SUBSTITUTION: Villa are going to have to make a change here, as Richardson is unable to carry on, with Cissokho coming on to replace him.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke City (Mame Biram Diouf)
Stoke have been well on top and they deservedly draw level just before half time. It's another headed goal, as Ireland delivers a brilliant cross from the right that is powered in by Diouf. The defending from Villa wasn't great and Sherwood will be frustrated that his side couldn't hang on until the break.
HALF-TIME: Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke City
It's half time at Villa Park and the scores are level thanks to Mame Biram Diouf's late strike. A first league goal since August 2012 had given Tim Sherwood's side the perfect start, but you feel that they are in for a difficult 45 minutes now.
Here's a quick look a the statistics from that first half. Villa have seen slightly more of the ball, with 52% of the possession. The only shot they had was the goal from Sinclair, while Stoke have managed to find the target with three of their five efforts.
© Getty Images
Villa have not created too much today, but I'm sure that their manager will have been pleased with their efforts so far. If they can get in behind more down the flanks then you feel that they can cause some real danger, with Hutton looking threatening on the right.
Aston Villa have scored as many league goals (1) in 20 mins under Tim Sherwood as they had in the rest of 2015 combined (540 mins of action)
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 21, 2015
The players are starting to emerge from the tunnel, with the second half set to begin in just a few moments time.
Stoke take the kick off and get the match back underway!
Villa have begun the half on the front foot and they are seeing the ball in some good positions. They have manged to deliver a couple of dangerous cross into their opponents' box, but so far the Stoke defence have been able to deal with their threat.
We haven't had a decent chance for either side since the break, with a number of fouls and poor passes disrupting the play. This game has not had too many moments of quality and it is turning into a real battle in the midfield.
Sherwood must be thinking about making some chances to give his side an added boost for the remained of the match. Weimann and Bacuna seem the most likely options who could come off the bench and add some much-needed threat in the attack.
SUBSTITUTION: Villa are going to make a change and it's Weimann who is coming on to replace Gil.
YELLOW CARD! Sanchez is the first Villa player to be booked for a foul on Diouf.
Stoke have been pegged back in their half for long spells by Villa, but Begovic has still been given nothing to do. Villa just can't get a shot away at the moment, with Benteke being well marshalled by the defence.
YELLOW CARD! It's another booking and this time Whelan is shown a card for a foul on Agbonlahor.
It's hard to see whether we are going to see another goal today, as there really has been nothing to get excited about since the break. If it's going to come, then you suspect a set piece could be the answer, with two goals already scored from headers today.
Referee Roger East has a bit of a problem here and he is receiving treatment from the Villa medical staff. It's not something you see everyday, but the fourth official is now getting stripped off and ready to come on if needed!
It looks like the referee is going to continue and he seems to have shaken off his slight knock.
We've got another stoppage in play, as Diouf is down with what looks like a head injury following a corner. The amount of delays have negatively impacted this match and neither side has really been able to find any momentum.
Stoke are very much in control at the moment and they are keeping possession well inside their own half. They are still not creating any chances and have given the Villa defenders very little problems.
Benteke has been starved of service this afternoon, but is picked out by Delph's fine cross into the box. He then makes good contact and tries to direct his header towards the top corner, but it takes a slight deflection and ends up going behind.
SAVE! For the first time in the second half Guzan is forced into a save. Pieters gets free down the left and delivers a great cross to the back post that Walters meets to sidefoot in a volley, but the keeper does well to get a strong hand to the ball and tip it over.
DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION: Stoke are going to make a couple of changes here, with Teixeira and Sidwell coming on for Ireland and Pieters.
CHANCE! With just a minute left to play Villa almost the snatch the points! Clark is the man with the chance, as he rises highest from a corner to power in a header, but Begovic is there to tip the ball over the bar.
YELLOW CARD! Vlaar is shown a card for a foul on Moses.
YELLOW CARD! Vlaar is shown a card for a foul on Moses.
We are going to have four minutes of stoppage time.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Stoke City (Victor Moses)
Stoke have snatched the points right at the death! The game looked to be heading towards a draw, until Vlaar brought down Moses inside the box and gave away a penalty. It was his second yellow card in the space of a few minutes and he had to go. Moses then stepped up to take the resulting spot kick and cooly slotted the effort into the bottom corner to put his side into the lead and surely win the match.
FULL-TIME: Aston Villa 1-2 Stoke City
What a dramatic end to today's match! We had so little action for the majority of the second half, but it burst into life in stoppage time. It means that Tim Sherwood has suffered a defeat in his first match for Villa and it has seen them drop to 19th in the table.
That's all we've got time for here. Don't forget, that there is plenty of reaction from the match to come, with analysis and player ratings coming your way shortly. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
