• Date: Sat 08 December 2007
  • Venue: Villa Park
  • Ref: Riley, M
  • Attendance: 35,790
Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Barry (72) P

1 - 3
Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Muntari (40)

Muntari (61)

Aston Villa vs Portsmouth

Team Lineups

Aston Villa

Scott Carson
Zat Knight
Wilfred Bouma (Patrik Berger, 54)
Martin Laursen
Olof Mellberg
Gareth Barry
Craig Gardner (Marlon Harewood, 70)
Nigel Reo-Coker
John Carew
Ashley Young, A
Gabriel Agbonlahor

Portsmouth

David James
Noe Pamarot
Glen Johnson
Sol Campbell
Sylvain Distin
Niko Kranjcar (Matt Taylor, 88)
Papa Bouba Diop
John Utaka (Nwankwo Kanu, 64)
Sulley Muntari
Miguel Pedro Mendes
Mwaruwari Benjani


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Mike Riley blows the final whistle and Pompey take the three points away from Villa Park.

90

Scott Carson makes a brilliant save from Boupa Diop's strike to deny Pompey a fourth goal of the game.

90

Pompey are holding onto the ball and in total control of the game as it nears it's end.

90

Gabriel Agbonlahor rose above Distin and headed Young's cross straight against the cross bar from three yards out. It's just not Villa's day.

88

Olof Mellberg drove forward and drilled the ball inches past the post as Villa still push for a goal.

85

Papa Boupa Diop missed a glorious chance for Pompey in a position where it was impossible to miss, but the midfielder side footed the ball against the side netting.

84

Villa then won a free kick on the opposite side of the pitch when Young was brought down, but Noe Pamarot headed the ball to safety.

83

Aston Villa won a corner after Pompey sloppily gave the ball away in their own half, but Sol Campbell rose heighest and cleared the ball.

81

Pompey had a brilliant chance to seal the game as Krancjar broke on the counter attack, Sylvain Distin broke his neck to get up and support him but Krancjar's ball was terrible and Aston Villa won the ball back.

80
Yellow Card
 

Niko Krancjar is booked for a needless foul on Ashley Young.

79

Aston Villa have to take some risks now if they are to get anything more out of the game, but they have to take their chances, this time it was Gareth Barry with a poor free kick from the right that was easily cleared by Portsmouth.

76

Ashley Young wastes the opportunity of a free kick in a wonderful position by crashing his effort straight against the Pompey wall.

75

The tempo and the temperature have both risen at Villa Park and the home crowd don't believe the game is over just yet.

73

Gareth Barry gets away without a booking after barging over Boupa Diop to get the ball back after scoring the penalty.

72
Goal
 

ASTON VILLA 1 - 3 PORTSMOUTH (BARRY) Gareth Barry converts the penalty for Villa

71

Sylvain Distin brings Ashley Young down in the box needlessly and gives away a penalty

70
Substitution
 

Craig Gardner is replaced by Marlon Harewood

68

Portsmouth are playing some lovely football now the game is as good as over, with Sulley Muntari doing some showboating in the middle of the park.

67
Yellow Card
 

Patrick Berger is booked for a late tackle on Glen Johnson, which Glen Johnson was furious about.

65
Substitution
 

Kanu comes on to replace John Utaka

63

Muntari has been a revelation for Pompey this season and today's performance has shown why Harry Redknapp paid the amount of money he did for the midfielder.

61
Goal
 

ASTON VILLA 0 - 3 PORTSMOUTH (MUNTARI) Sulley Muntari scores his second and Pompey's third with a beautiful thirty yard strike with the outside of his left foot.

58

David James was electric at coming out of his area to close down Gabriel Agbonlahor who was through on goal after some good closing down from Craig Gardner.

56

John Carew used his height to jump for a header from a Villa corner with but Pedro Mendes was on the post for Pompey and he watched it go out for a goal kick.

55

Niko Krancjar shows a touch of class as he controlled the ball brilliantly and cut inside from the left, and pulled a right footed shot inches wide of the post.

54
Substitution
 

Patrick Berger comes on to replace Wilfred Bouma.

53

Krancjar played a clever ball over the top for Muntari to cross into the penalty area where Benjani was waiting, but Laursen headed to safety.

51

David James this time was Portsmouth's culprate for giving the ball away, with a punt up-field that went straight through to Scott Carson in the opposite goal.

49

The first chance of the half fell to Pompey when John Utaka crossed the ball in from the right for Muntari who was making a late burst from midfield, but the Ghanaian's header went over Carson's crossbar

47

Sylvain Distin showed how good of a defender he is by first outpacing John Carew and then holding him off to win a throw in for Pompey.

Second half
 

Aston Villa get the game back underway in horrible conditions at Villa Park.

Half time
 

Mike Riley blows the whistle for half time at Villa Park.

45

David James showing what a fine goalkeeper he is for Portsmouth with a fantastic save from a powerful shot from Agbonlahor, which looked destined for the back of the net.

44

Aston Villa don't deserve to go in to the break two goals down and Martin O'Neill will certainly feel hard done by.

43
Yellow Card
 

Papa Boupa Diop is booked for deliberately pulling Barry's shirt as he advanced with the ball

40
Goal
 

ASTON VILLA 0 - 2 PORTSMOUTH (MUNTARI) Sulley Muntari puts Pompey two goals up with a fierce left footed strike into the top corner, going totally against the run of play.

38

Aston Villa's claims for handball against Noe Pamarot were waved away by Mike Riley after John Carew's fierce shot was blocked by the defender.

35

Portsmouth played some good football with some intricate passes between Benjani and Muntari, but Villa did well to close them down and won back possession to stop any cross from Pompey.

33

No surprise that it was Agbonlahor who broke clear for Villa down the left after a ball over the top from Gareth Barry, he did well to keep the ball in but his disguised cross fell into the hands of David James.

31

Glen Johnson did well to advance down the right playing a one-two with Benjani and crossing for Krancjar who failed to make a clean connection with the ball and Villa cleared comfortably.

28

Agbonlahor's pace is troubling Pompey's backline and he continues to get in behind them, all he needs is half a chance and he'll make them pay.

26

Gabriel Agbonlahor fired the ball at goal from the tightest of angle's, with a slight deflection coming off Sol Campbell David James had to save the shot with his feet to deny the striker.

24

Portsmouth's marking in the penalty area has been atrocious and Villa will make them pay if it carries on this way

22

Harry Redknapp will not be happy with his teams retention of the ball, they can not keep possession and continue to give it away

20

Martin Laursen missed another fantastic chance for Villa, this time it was harder to miss than score but the ball hit the Danish defender on the shoulder and thankfully for Pompey his effort went wide.

18

Martin Laursen found himself in a golden position from Young's corner, he was unmarked in the six yard box but he didn't seem to connect fully with the ball and David James watched his header roll past his post.

16

Gareth Barry is going mad, along with the crowd, after Mike Riley yet again awards a dubious free kick to Pompey in a dangerous position. Lucky enough for Villa, Muntari's effort was feable.

14

The Aston Villa faithful are not happy with some of the decisions Mike Riley has made so far in the game, nothing seems to be going the home side's way in the opening fifteen minutes.

11

Aston Villa have come straight back at Pompey after going behind, winning two corners in succession and putting some pressure on their backline.

9
Goal
 

ASTON VILLA 0 - 1 PORTSMOUTH (O.G. GARDNER) Pompey take the lead after Craig Gardner inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Benjani in his own goal area.

8

Pompey won a free kick out on the right which was whipped in by Sulley Muntari, but despite the troops coming up from the back Villa cleared the cross with ease

6

Craig Gardner tried to play Gabriel Agbonlahor in on goal but his miss-placed pass found Ashley Young free at the back post, but the young winger put his effort wide of the goal. First chance to Villa.

4
Yellow Card
 

John Carew recieves an early booking from Mike Riley for a deliberately late tackle on Sol Campbell after the defender had out-muscled him.

3

The wind is blowing visciously accross the field and the surface is wet and slippery, so the conditions are far from perfect for both teams.

1

Both teams make a sloppy start to the game with Pompey's Sol Campbell hitting a pass too long for Niko Krancjar to recieve.

1
Kickoff
 

Portsmouth get us underway here at Villa Park.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

The referee today is Mike Riley (Yorkshire)

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Portsmouth are still without long term absentees Lauren (Hamstring), Martin Cranie (Broken Leg) and Linvoy Primus (Knee), Sean Davis also misses out again after suffering a hamstring injury, so Pedro Mendes continues in midfield.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Martin O'Neill is able to recall Nigel Reo-Coker to his midfield after he missed the defeat to Arsenal last week, but O'Neill is without Stilian Petrov who has been ruled out for two weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in that game.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Portsmouth Line-up: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Pamarot, Utaka, Diop, Pedro Mendes, Muntari, Kranjcar, Mwaruwari

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Aston Villa Line-up: Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Gardner, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor