Match ratings and statistics from Sunderland's crushing home defeat to Aston Villa.

Goals

0-1: Benteke (16 – got free from O’Shea to tuck home Bacuna’s low cross from the right)

0-2: Agbonlahor (18 – latched on to Clark’s ball forward after O’Shea failed to intercept)

0-3: Agbonlahor (37 – received the ball from N’Zogbia’s driving run and ran across goal unchallenged before slotting home)

0-4: Benteke (44 – rose above Reveillere to head home at the back post from Bacuna’s right-wing cross)

Bookings: Bacuna (foul, 8), Bridcutt (foul, 90)

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston): Failed to spot a Clark handball but his performance was not the reason for Sunderland’s defeat. 6

Attendance: 45,746

Rating: 3/5

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1):

5 Pantilimon: The Romanian was helpless for three of the four goals but he was outwitted by Agbonlahor for Villa’s second;

3 Reveillere: Let Benteke get the better of him for Villa’s fourth and really struggled with the pace the visitors boasted

2 O’Shea: An uncharacteristically shambolic display from the captain, who was at fault for the first two goals

2 Brown: Another player that struggled to cope with Villa’s pace and allowed Agbonlahor to run past him for the third goal

2 Van Aanholt: Exposed down his flank and afforded way too much time and space to Bacuna, who set up two;

3 Bridcutt: Couldn’t get to grips with N’Zogbia and offered the back four no protection from waves of Villa attacks;

2 Alvarez: Did little to provide cover for Reveillere and it was no surprise to see him taken off at half time after an ineffective 45 minutes

4 Larsson: Gave his all but was involved in a bizarre moment when he was three minutes late coming out for the second half

5 Rodwell: This was actually one of his better displays in a red and white shirt but not many people will look back on the game and remember it

3 Fletcher: Given the task of playing on the left and that backfired spectacularly as most of Villa’s joy came down the right with Bacuna;

3 Defoe: Isolated and anonymous throughout and he failed to get on the end of one decent cross into the box

Subs

Wickham (for Alvarez, 46): Offered more than the players he replaced but the game was already over when he came on. 5

Graham (for Fletcher, 83)

Not used: Mannone, Jones, Coates, Vergini, Gomez.

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Guzan 6; Lowton 7, Okore 8, Clark 8 (Sanchez, 64, 7), Bacuna 8; N’ZOGBIA 8 (Weimann, 79), Delph 7, Cleverley 7, Sinclair 7; Benteke 8, Agbonlahor 8 (Hepburn-Murphy, 83). Subs (not used): Given, Gil, Kinsella, Westwood.

Man of the Match

CHARLES N’Zogbia – There were plenty performances to choose from but the former Newcastle winger ran the midfield and drove Villa on to capitalise on Sunderland’s woeful display