Burton Albion vs Aston Villa. Sky Bet Championship.
Pirelli StadiumAttendance5,786.
Tuesday 26 September 2017 22:56, UK
Aston Villa handed Burton Albion a first home defeat since the opening day of the season with an easy 4-0 victory.
Goals from Keinan Davis, Albert Adomah and Robert Snodgrass put Steve Bruce's side in complete control by half-time.
Substitute Josh Onomah added a fourth with 20 minutes to go as the Brewers were condemned to their biggest home defeat since stepping up to the second tier of English football.
Victory extended Villa's unbeaten run to seven Championship games and pushed them closer to the play-off places after a slow start to the campaign as well as giving them back-to-back away victories.
With Albion unbeaten in their last three league outings it was no surprise that both sides named unchanged lineups - but it was Villa destined to continue their impressive form. Nigel Clough's side made a more positive start with John Brayford dragging a good chance wide early on but - once Academy product Davis headed home the opener after 13 minutes - it was an uphill task for the Brewers.
The 19-year-old striker scored his second goal in three games powering home a header from Ahmed Elmohamady's cross that gave Stephen Bywater, in the Burton goal, no chance.
Villa had already hit the post through Jonathan Kodjia and the Ivorian had also seen Bywater tip a shot wide of the post as Villa set about their task with relish.
The away side quickly doubled their advantage within three minutes as Adomah bagged his fifth goal in as many games. Snodgrass sent through the pass that got the winger in behind the defence and his shot seemed to deflect off Bywater before nestling into the bottom corner.
Sam Johnstone held on to a Lucas Akins header as Albion tried to respond quickly and the keeper smothered a low cross from Marvin Sordell before Sean Scannell could get there.
The visitors stretched their lead just after the half-hour mark with Snodgrass this time finishing the job himself, firing home with the aid of a deflection from just outside the box.
Albion were not only frustrated by the manner of the goal but also by the fact that influential defender Brayford was down injured at the time and out of the game.
The home side also lost Ben Turner to injury early in the second half by which time Bruce's men were content to consolidate and hit Burton on the break.
When the fourth goal came after 71 minutes it was two substitutes who had barely been on the pitch that combined. Scott Hogan did well to work space for a low cross that was fired home from close range by Onomah barely two minutes after he had come on.
Nigel Clough: "A couple of the goals we certainly should have done better. The second one (Adomah) is a mishit off his other foot and the third one (Snodgrass) is a deflection when we are down to 10 men. Clough conceded that the quality that Villa possessed was just too much for his side.
"I think in the game they (Villa) have had four or five shots and scored four goals. That is the quality that tells and the pace and the power that they have along with the Premier League experience behind that. They get that first goal and it makes it very difficult for us."
Steve Bruce: "I enjoyed watching us tonight. It's always nice when you have a convincing victory away from home. That can only breed a little bit of confidence and if this club and team can get confident again then we have good players here. They have gone back-to-back away games now and scored three at Barnsley and four here tonight and it gives us a nice platform going into the winter.
"We are in good shape. We look a threat at the top end of the pitch and of course we have been a bit more clinical. We took the chances that we had and that was good to see."
