Aston Villa condemned the fierce rivals Birmingham to their 4th defeat in 5 matches to leave the Blues hovering perilously above the trapdoor that leads to League One football.
The match was a scrappy affair from start to finish, with a total of 30 fouls and just the two shots on target, but Villa fans will not care one bit as this result could ultimately contribute to Birmingham’s relegation from the Championship.
The first half was a pretty even and dour affair with Birmingham having the best chance of the half late on when Che Adams blasted over in the 40th minute.
The second half started off in much the same fashion as the first-half, but things livened up a bit when Gabby Agbonlahor was brought on for Jack Grealish in the 60th minute. The Birmingham-born striker loves a derby match, and he was straight into the thick of things – even picking up a booking within a couple of minutes of being on the field.
Agbonlahor has not scored a goal since February 2016, but he was on hand to turn in a corner in the 70th minute to send the Villa faithful wild. Birmingham had 20 minutes to try and rescue something from the match, but they rarely troubled Sam Johnstone in the Villa goal.
The result leaves Birmingham just two points above Blackburn, who occupy the third and final relegation place. They will need to win at least one of their remaining two matches (against Huddersfield and Bristol City) and hope that Blackburn don’t pick up any points, if they are to preserve their status as a Championship team.
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