Aston Villa ended their nine-game winless run in the Premier League by claiming a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace this evening.
Christian Benteke scored the winning goal on his return from suspension when he powered his way towards the edge of the box and curled a low strike into the far corner.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Selhurst Park.
Match Statistics:
CRYSTAL PALACE:
Shots 17
On Target 5
Possession 46%
Corners 8
Fouls 16
ASTON VILLA:
Shots 5
On Target 3
Possession 54%
Corners 2
Fouls 15
Was the result fair?
Crystal Palace will be kicking themselves for not getting something out of the game. They put Villa under a huge amount of pressure from the start and saw plenty of the ball in their opponents' half of the pitch. However, for all of their attempts on goal, they only mustered five shots on target, with none of those causing Brad Guzan any real problems. The difference proved to be Benteke, who took his goal brilliantly to end his side's long wait for a victory.
Crystal Palace's performance
Having beaten Liverpool in their last home game and fighting back to earn a draw against Swansea City at the weekend, Palace would have been full of confidence going into the match. Indeed, they started strongly and constantly got in behind the Villa full-backs. They forced the visitors back deep inside their own half and it seemed only a matter of time until they would score.
In the end, they were made to pay for a lapse in concentration at the back, as Scott Dann lost the ball to Benteke, who charged through to score the only goal of the match. They seemed to lack a real cutting edge in the final third and when they did get into promising positions, their final ball let them down. It proved to be a frustrating evening and it may encourage Neil Warnock to strengthen his attack when the transfer window opens next month.
Aston Villa's performance
Villa may have played better in recent weeks than they did tonight, but they were finally able to celebrate a first win since the middle of September. They began the game firmly on the back foot and were unable to hold on to the ball. Their hopes were hindered further when Joe Cole, who played so well at the weekend, suffered an injury and went off inside the opening 10 minutes.
They gradually came into the game and Benteke had an effort tipped over the bar by Guzan, before opening the scoring just past the half-hour mark. They came under further pressure after the break, but could have added a second when Andreas Weimann saw his attempt blocked by Julian Speroni. Their one-goal lead proved to be enough and although Benteke will deservedly get most of the credit, Villa's defenders enjoy a huge amount of praise for a committed and gritty display at the back.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Christian Benteke: It must go to Benteke, who produced a moment of inspiration to end Villa's winless streak. He showed great determination to win the ball from Dann, before brilliantly finishing into the bottom corner. He may not have seen too much of the ball after that, but when he did his hold-up play was excellent and he has reminded everyone just how big a player he is for Villa.
Biggest gaffe
Dann will be annoyed that it was his mistake that led to the only goal of the game. He was tackled by Benteke just inside his own half and paid the price as the striker ran through to score. Aside from that error, he did not have a bad game, but at this level the slightest mistakes are punished.
Referee's performance
Michael Oliver had to cope with a vocal home crowd, who constantly appealed for penalty decisions whenever their players came off second best in the box. There were no challenges that warranted a spot kick and the referee dealt well with the occasion, maintaining a good control of the match.
What next?
Crystal Palace: The Clarets will welcome Newcastle United to Turf Moor on Tuesday evening.
Aston Villa: Villa are also in action on Tuesday when they travel to London to play Queens Park Rangers.
Alex Meyers
