Walsall 0 Aston Villa 5 - match analysis and pictures

For much of the day the Saddlers' 125th anniversary celebrations looked like being thrown into disarray by dreadful downpours.

But at the moment the club legend and guest of honour appeared to unveil a special anniversary plaque, the rain ceased and the clouds cleared.

"They said I stopped the rain!" the two-time promotion winning boss later joked, after he and other former managers and players had been able to parade during half-time on the Banks's pitch in the dry.

But there was nothing Graydon could do to affect matters during the game, as impressive Villa ran rampant with goals from Fabian Delph, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke, Jack Grealish and Gary Gardner.

The visitors were simply too quick and too slick for a Saddlers side most certainly with one eye on Saturday's League One opener against Tranmere Rovers.

Walsall boss Dean Smith made 10 changes at half-time and his starting line-up just over 48 hours from now will probably be a mixture of the two teams which graced each half.

This was not a night to judge the Saddlers' prospects for the next nine months. Instead it was one to reminisce on 125 years of history and admire the skill displayed by the Premier League visitors.

"Villa moved the ball really well. I thought they were bang on it from kick-off," said Saddlers skipper Andy Butler afterward.

"For us, Saturday is more important and it was just a 45-minute training session really."

It must have felt a hellish training session at times. Andy Weimann had already been denied a clear chance by a strong Mal Benning challenge and stabbed a close range effort wide before Delph broke the deadlock.

The former Leeds man picked the ball up in midfield and advanced unopposed before unleashing a shot that fizzed past the despairing dive of Richard O'Donnell.

Villa were relentless and only a couple of offside flags denied Benteke clear strikes at goal. When the home side did string together some nice passes, the same fate befell Craig Westcarr.

A second visiting goal seemed inevitable and the only surprise was it took till the 33rd minute for it to arrive, Agbonlahor showing a devastating turn of speed and power to blast past the home defence and slide his finish beyond O'Donnell.

The third was almost added seconds later by Benteke but his curling shot from 20 yards hit the angle of post and bar.

Villa's comfort almost became carelessness, as keeper Jed Steer fluffed a clearance straight to James Baxendale 20 yards out, but the Walsall winger dawdled and the chance was gone.

Half-time brought the expected raft of substitutions, but it did little to alter the game's momentum as Benteke made it three, firing home from close range after Weimann had chased a ball to the byline and delivered the cross.

Grealish added Villa's fourth, collecting a pass from Nicklas Helenius and stroking it past Lewis in the Saddlers goal before the cherry on Villa's own particular cake was saved for last, as Gardner smashed home a free-kick from 30 yards.

Milan Lalkovic at least made sure the hosts had an attempt on goal, only to find substitute keeper Brad Guzan equal to his near post effort.

Saddlers (4-4-1-1): O'Donnell (Lewis HT), George (Heath 73), Purkiss (Holden HT), Butler (Downing HT), Benning (Hemmings (HT), Baxendale (Flanagan HT), A Chambers (Mantom HT), Featherstone (McQuilkin HT), Morris (J Chambers), Sawyers (Hewitt (HT), Westcarr (Lalkovic HT).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Steer (Guzan HT), Bacuna (Lowton HT) Vlaar (Herd HT), Baker (Clark HT), Luna (Janoi Donacien 61), El Ahmadi (Westwood HT), Delph (Sylla HT), Burke (Helenius HT), Weimann (Gardner 61), Agbonlahor (Grealish 61) Benteke (Carruthers 61).

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffs); Attendance: 7,720