YNWA takes a look back at past memorable away League meetings as we visit Aston Villa for 84th time in the League on Sunday. Our all-time League record in the Midlands is fairly good, reading 26 wins, twenty draws and 37 defeats to date.
Most recently
Ryan Babel, Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin all made their first-class reds bows in our season opener last August as a late Steven Gerrard free-kick secured a 2-1 win. This ensured that we became the fourth team to pass a thousand points in the Premier League, reaching 1,002, and was the first ever live Premiership match shown on Setanta Sports. We had taken the lead through a Martin Laursen own goal before Jamie Carragher gave away a penalty that Gareth Barry converted.
Pepe Reina kept his fiftieth clean sheet for the reds in March 2007, in his 93rd outing, as we were held to a goalless draw in a lifeless match. Steven Gerrard played his 300th reds game in November 2005, converting a late penalty with Xabi Alonso then also scoring as we won 2-0.
Recent reds debutants
Nicolas Anelka made his reds debut on Boxing Day 2001 as we won 2-1, with goals from Jari Litmanen, gifted to him by Peter Schmeichel, and Vladimír Šmicer. Jari also hit a spot-kick against the post. Torben Piechnik debuted in September 1992 as we lost 4-2, with ex-Villain Mark Walters and Ronnie Rosenthal on target as ex-red Dean Saunders struck twice on his home debut. Brad Friedel made his reds bow in a 2-1 defeat in February 1998, as an early Michael Owen penalty was cancelled out by ex-red Stan Collymore's brace in John Gregory's first game as Villa boss. Eleven years earlier, John Aldridge debuted in our 2-2 draw, with our goals coming from Paul Walsh and Craig Johnston.
Trebles for and against
Robbie Fowler bagged a hat-trick in our 4-2 win over Villa in November 1998, who were unbeaten in their opening twelve League fixtures, to secure Gérard Houllier's first win in sole charge. Dion Dublin scored twice and had a penalty saved by David James, with Stan Collymore sent off for shoving Michael Owen. Inside-left Ronald Orr scored on his reds debut in April 1908, but could not prevent us succumbing 5-1, with Joe Bache grabbing a hat-trick.
Ian Rush scored a hat-trick past the young Nigel Spink on a frozen pitch in January 1984, as we won 3-1 in a live Friday night BBC game, in front of less than 20,000 hardy fans. 52 years earlier, George Brown scored four goals for Villa in their 6-1 thrashing of the reds. Centre-forward Harold Barton scored our consolation. Harry Hampton scored a hat-trick for Aston Villa in their 5-0 trouncing of the reds in September 1905 and then again in their 6-2 victory in April 1915, when defender Phil Bratley played his thirteenth and final reds game. Jackie Sheldon converted a penalty with Tom Miller bagging our other goal. Debutant Harry Nash also bagged a treble for Villa in the same game.
Other recent meetings
Michael Owen had a penalty saved by Peter Enckleman in August 2002, after John Arne Riise had scored the only goal of the game, in our first League game of the season. Ulisses De La Cruz made his Villa debut. In October 1999, Steve Staunton was laughably sent off by Rob Harris for a second bookable offence after half an hour, having been wrongly adjudged not to have retreated ten yards at a free-kick. Steven Gerrard then slotted in as our emergency left-back as we held out for a goalless draw.
Yuletide encounters
Terry McDermott struck on his 28th birthday as we won 3-1 in December 1979, with Ray Kennedy and Alan Hansen also netting. Three years earlier, Villa inflicted on us our biggest defeat in ten years by winning 5-1 with Ray Kennedy on target. Winger Jackie Sheldon netted our consolation from the spot as we lost 2-1 in December 1913, the first of his twenty reds goals.
Final games
The last game in front of the standing Holte End was played in May 1994, with Robbie Fowler on target in our last game of the season as we lost 2-1. Alan A'Court played his 354th and final reds League game as we lost 2-0 in May 1963. Back in April 1899, centre-forward George Allan made his 96th and last reds appearance in our second 5-0 defeat in this fixture. In February 1939, forward George Patterson played his third and final reds game as we lost 2-0.
More reds debutants
Louis Bimpson made his reds bow as we were thumped 4-0 in March 1953. Winger William Watkinson scored on his reds debut in our 2-1 win in April 1947, with Willie Fagan netting the other. Left-back Jack Tennant debuted as we lost 4-2 in September 1933, with Sam English and Gordon Hodgson on target. Eight months earlier, outside-left Alf Hanson made his reds bow as we suffered another heavy defeat, this time 5-2, with Gordon Hodgson and Syd Roberts on the scoresheet in the first half.
Centre-forward Hugh Henderson made his reds bow as we lost 5-0 in October 1894 on our first trip to Aston Villa, when they were still playing at their old Perry Barr ground. In December 1909, left-half John McConnell debuted in our 3-1 defeat, with Jack Parkinson netting from the spot.
Red milestones
Forward Jack Balmer grabbed his hundredth reds goal as we drew 1-1 in September 1950. We won 4-1 in January 1925 in our 500th away League game, with Jimmy Walsh bagging a brace. Harry Chambers and Danny Shone were also on the scoresheet. In September 1919, Dick Forshaw bagged the only goal of the game to hand us victory, the first of his 124 reds strikes. Harry Bradshaw struck his fiftieth reds goal in our 3-1 defeat back in October 1897. Seven months earlier, our first trip to Villa Park had ended goalless.
More ex-reds on target
Bert Goode bagged a brace as we lost 5-0 in December 1911, while Gordon Hodgson was on target as we lost 3-0 in February 1936.
Battling back
We led 4-0 with just 24 minutes remaining of our Second Division fixture in March 1960, thanks to a brace from Dave Hickson and goals from Roger Hunt and John Molyneux. However, the home side struck three times inside nine minutes, and Bobby Thomson grabbed his second goal to equalise with five minutes remaining. Peter McParland missed a clear-cut chance in the last minute that nearly completed an amazing comeback for the Villains.
