The standout numbers from Aston Villa’s 2-1 home win over Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion.
Christian Benteke’s stoppage-time penalty earned Tim Sherwood his first win as Aston Villa manager in Tuesday night’s clash with West Bromwich Albion, after Saido Berahino’s 66th-minute header had earlier cancelled out Gabriel Agbonlahor’s first-half goal.
Here’s a look at some of the standout statistics from the match at Villa Park.
3 – The amount of shots West Brom attempted on the night, the fewest the club have managed in a league game this season, as well as the least Aston Villa have allowed. The Baggies’ in-form strike partnership of Brown Ideye and Berahino were virtual spectators in the first-half and, while things improved after the break, a lack of service still limited their impact.
| Total Shots | Shots Ontarget | |
|---|---|---|
| West Brom | 3 | 1 |
70 – The number of passes Fabian Delph completed over the course of the 90 minutes. It was the most across the three Premier League games on the night, with midfield partner Ashley Westwood coming in second with 64. Named skipper in the absence of the injured Ron Vlaar, the England international’s performances this campaign haven’t quite been up to the same standard of his previous breakout season, but an encouraging outing against the Baggies should give fans hope of him getting back to top form during the final run in.
| Position | Team | Accurate Passes | Passing Accuracy | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabian Delph | MF | Aston Villa | 70 | 89% | 90 |
| Ashley Westwood | MF | Aston Villa | 64 | 91% | 90 |
| Morgan Schneiderlin | MF | Southampton | 59 | 94% | 90 |
18 – The match-leading number of clearances Ciaran Clark made – seven more than second-placed Jores Okore’s 11. The Villa centre-back started out the season behind Vlaar, Philippe Senderos and Nathan Baker in the pecking order but, since injuries forced him into the line-up in November, there’s a strong argument to make that he’s been the club’s most impressive contributor.
| Total Clearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|
| Ciaran Clark | 18 | 90 |
500.67 – Benteke’s goal per minute ratio in the Premier League this season after his last-gaps spot-kick. The number pails in comparison to his injury-shortened 2013-14 campaign, and there’s no doubt that it’s been a huge factor in Villa’s own recent struggles. Nevertheless, having now managed to end his 10-game top-flight scoring drought, a confidence-boosting winner could be just what was needed to get him back to his form of old.
| Season | Goals | Goals MINS | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Benteke | 2013-2014 | 10 | 212.8 | 26 | 2,128 |
| Christian Benteke | 2014-2015 | 3 | 500.67 | 19 | 1,502 |
100% – Agbonlahor’s shooting accuracy on the night, as Villa’s opening goalscorer managed to get all three of his shots on target. The long-serving striker has received his fair share of criticism this season for his lack of attacking drive, but his first-half performance on Tuesday night was reminiscent of the displays which earned him three England caps between 2008 and 2009.
| Goals | Total Shots | Shooting Accuracy | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Agbonlahor | 1 | 3 | 100% | 82 |
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