Aston Villa 4 Birmingham City 2 - Report and pictures

The Scot, who had scored just twice in the previous four years, finished past visiting keeper Lee Camp after a 50 yard run to confirm Villa’s third straight Championship win.

Villa had earlier fought back to lead at the break through Jonathan Kodjia and Jack Grealish, after Lukas Jutkiewicz had fired Blues in front.

Tammy Abraham increased the home side’s advantage early in the second half but Kristian Pedersen gave Blues hope until Hutton emphatically extinguished it.

Analysis

The 34-year-old is affectionately nicknamed the ‘Scottish Cafu’ by Villa supporters and his goal was one of which the Brazilian legend would have been proud.

Picking up the ball 10 yards into his own half, he drove toward goal, leaving Jacques Maghoma and Craig Gardner in his wake, before cutting inside Harlee Dean on the edge of the box and curling a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

It was a moment which capped a pulsating game in which Villa’s extra quality eventually told against determined rivals, who netted in B6 for the first time in more than a decade.

Indeed, Blues bossed the opening 35 minutes and after Jutkiewicz had made the breakthrough, went close to doubling the lead when Che Adams struck the post from six-yards out.

That proved the game’s pivotal moment as within five minutes Villa had turned the game on its head thanks to Kodjia and Grealish.

From that moment on Blues were always chasing it and though they had their moments, Villa’s extra firepower ultimately told as they extended their unbeaten run in Second City derbies to a record 13 matches.

This was their fourth win in six games under Dean Smith, taking them up to eighth in the table and ensuring they remain just four points outside the top six, at the start of a week which also contains big games against Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.

The big pre-game question for Villa surrounded the fitness of John McGinn. Ultimately, the calf strain which had seen the influential midfielder withdraw from international duty for Scotland also kept him out of the derby.

Glenn Whelan replaced him, in the only change to Villa’s starting line-up from the 3-0 win at Derby.

Blues were also below full strength, most notably on the flanks where Maghoma was deemed only fit enough for a place on the bench, while a hip problem saw Jota missed out entirely.

The visitors were also without Gary Gardner, with the on loan midfielder unavailable to face his parent club. Brother Craig, himself once of Villa, replaced him alongside Maikel Kieftenbeld.

The latter gave warning of Blues’ intentions after just 30 seconds when he clattered into the back of Grealish, conceding the first foul of the afternoon and a stern talking to from referee Robert Jones.

It summed up an energetic start from the visitors, who were quick to press the hosts and looked the more threatening in the early stages.

Pedersen should have done better with a volley after Connor Mahoney’s cross fell for him unmarked on the edge of the box.

Mahoney then created further alarm when his corner was met by Lukas Jutkiewicz at the near post and flicked just wide of the far.

Villa were struggling to make much headway and when they did get openings were wasteful, Abraham ballooning a cross well over after finding space on the edge of the box.

It was a Villa mistake which led to Blues making the breakthrough, James Chester losing the ball deep in his own territory and then being forced to concede a corner as Adams looked to burst through.

This time Mahoney sent his delivery to the far post and Jutkiewicz arrived unmarked to volley home his 10th goal of the season and Blues’s first at Villa Park since April 2008.

Five minutes later, with Villa still out-of-sorts, they should have had another.

Grealish’s poor clearance was pounced on by Gardner who whipped in a vicious cross which Adams, six yards out, could only turn onto the post.

The significance of that miss became clear just three minutes later, when Kodjia pulled the hosts level.

Hutton’s chipped cross received the slightest of touches from Michael Morrison before being chested down by Kodjia and thumped into the back of the net.

It was only the striker’s second goal since August and the effect on his confidence, as he played a key role in the move which saw Grealish giving Villa the lead two minutes later.

Picking up the ball on the left wing, Kodjia drove into central midfield before finding Hourihane, who in turn played the ball out to Albert Adomah. The winger cut inside before whipping in a left-footed cross which sailed over the Blues defence and was converted by Grealish, arriving at the far post.

The Birmingham-born playmaker was mobbed by all of his team-mates as he celebrated his first Second City derby goal.

Villa still had some defending to do before the break, with Orjan Nyland punching clear a Gardner free-kick.

But within six minutes of the restart, they had breathing space.

Abraham was pulled down by Morrison as they challenged for the ball and referee Jones immediately pointed to the post. The striker, having picked himself up off the floor, duly sent Lee Camp the wrong way for his sixth Villa goal.

For a few minutes it looked as though the hosts might run away with it, Kodjia drilling a long distance effort just over the bar.

But Blues were soon alive again. Villa were guilty of giving away possession in their own half and when Adams crossed from the right, Pedersen arrived late to side foot a finish beyond Nyland.

Villa were forced into a change when Adomah came off worse in a challenge with Wes Harding. From the free-kick, Conor Hourihane nearly restored the two-goal cushion, only for Camp to push his shot round the post at full stretch.

A nervy finish looked likely for Villa before Hutton sealed the game. Picking up the ball 10 yards inside his own half, the right-back outsprinted Maghoma and Gardner before cutting inside Harlee Dean and curling a left-footed finish beyond Camp and into the bottom corner.

Key Moments

28 - GOAL Lukas Jutkiewicz volleys Blues in front, arriving unmarked at the far post to convert Connor Mahoney’s corner.

34 - OFF THE POST Che Adams is inches away from doubling the visitors’ advantage, sending Craig Gardner’s cross off the post from six yards out.

37 - GOAL Villa level through Jonathan Kodjia. The striker chests home Alan Hutton’s cross before drilling home a low finish.

39 - GOAL Villa in front. Albert Adomah crosses from the right and Jack Grealish arrives at the far post to head home.

51 - GOAL Villa have breathing space. Tammy Abraham is hauled down by Blues skipper Michael Morrison in the box and then gets up to send Lee Camp the wrong way from the spot.

57 - GOAL Blues are back in it. Villa give away possession in their own half and Kristian Pedersen arrives to convert Adams’s cross.

76 - GOAL Alan Hutton restores Villa’s two-goal cushion with a goal for the ages. The right-back picks up the ball 10 yards inside his own half, outpaces two opponents before cutting inside Harlee Dean and sliding a finish into the bottom corner.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Nyland, Hutton, Chester, Tuanzebe, Taylor, Whelan (Lansbury 69 (Elmohamady 77)), Grealish, Hourihane, Adomah (Bolasie 65), Abraham, Kodjia Subs not used: El Ghazi, O’Hare, Hogan, Bunn (gk).

Blues (4-4-2): Camp, Colin, Dean, Morrison, Harding, Mahoney (Maghoma 66), Gardner (Lakin 78), Kieftenbeld, Pedersen, Adams, Jutkiewicz (Bogle 89) Subs not used: Roberts, Dacres-Cogley, Lubala, Trueman (gk).