Aston Villa have played out a goalless draw with Sunderland in their Premier League clash.
The Villans were reduced to 10 men shortly after the break when Fabian Delph was shown a red card for a high tackle on Jordi Gomez.
Gomez hit the post late on for the Black Cats and Leandro Bacuna saw a shot turned wide for the hosts, as the game finished level.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Villa Park.
Match Statistics:
ASTON VILLA:
Shots 14
On Target 3
Possession 48%
Corners 4
Fouls 4
SUNDERLAND:
Shots 15
On Target 3
Possession 52%
Corners 4
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
A draw was the fair result this afternoon as neither side deserved to claim the three points. It was a very uninspiring first half, with the keepers not forced into making a save of note. Even at the halfway point in the game, it seemed very likely that the game would end goalless.
The turning point of the match came just minutes into the second half, when Delph was sent off. From that moment Sunderland dominated and put Villa under a great deal of pressure, but Paul Lambert's players managed to stand firm and grind out a hard-earned point.
Aston Villa's performance
It really is no surprise that Villa have only scored 11 goals in the Premier League and they started the afternoon very slowly. They posed no threat at all and a speculative effort from Charles N'Zogbia was their only effort on target in the first 45 minutes. Things got harder for them four minutes after the interval, as Delph was rightly shown a straight red card.
Although they saw far less of the ball for the rest of the match, they managed to repel Sunderland's attacks and showed great resilience at the back to claim only their second clean sheet at home this season. It was an encouraging defensive display, but the same problems lie in attack, where they must improve in the New Year.
Sunderland's performance
Gus Poyet will surely see today's match as two points dropped after playing against 10 men for almost the entire second half. His team had done very little before the break, despite a positive opening. With their numerical advantage they would have been expected to find a breakthrough, but despite their constant probing it never came. They were able to get in behind and deliver a number of dangerous crosses, yet a clinical finishing touch was sorely missing. Gomez's late strike against the post almost saw them claim the three points, but it ended up being an 11th draw of the season for the Black Cats.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Ron Vlaar: The Villa captain was at his commanding best today and ensured that his team came away from the game with a share of the spoils. He was strong in the challenge and dominant in the air throughout. With his contract set to expire in the summer there will be plenty of teams interested in signing him and this could have been one of his last games for the club.
Biggest gaffe
Delph will have been a relieved man at the final whistle that his red card did not cost his team. He was rightly dismissed for a poor tackle on Gomez and he will be thankful that his teammates held on to grind out a point.
Referee's performance
Martin Atkinson was forced into making a big decision today and he got it right. There can be no complaints about the red card as it was a reckless lunge by Delph.
What next?
Aston Villa: The Villans will welcome Crystal Palace to Villa Park New Year's Day.
Sunderland: The Black Cats face a tough start to the New Year with a trip to Manchester City on Thursday.
Alex Meyers
