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Aston Villa 2-2 West Bromwich Albion: Keinan Davis scores 92nd minute equaliser

By Neil JohnstonBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Premier Leaguecomments158

West Brom score a second goal against Aston Villa as Mbaye Diagne's shot is deflected into the net via a deflection off Tyrone Mings
West Brom are nine points from safety with five games left

West Brom's faint hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a significant setback after substitute Keinan Davis scored a 92nd-minute equaliser for Aston Villa.

The Baggies fell behind when Anwar El Ghazi marked his return to the side by firing Villa ahead from the penalty spot after Semi Ajayi had clipped Ross Barkley.

They were then awarded a penalty of their own, Matheus Pereira beating Emiliano Martinez to equalise after Ezri Konsa caught Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Brazilian forward Pereira then hit the bar from a free-kick after creating chances for Okay Yokuslu and Maitland-Niles before Mbaye Diagne's deflected finish off Tyrone Mings looked to have sealed a third win in four games.

But Davis pounced in the closing moments for his first Premier League goal after a defensive mix-up to deny the Baggies, who are now nine points from safety with five games remaining.

Baggies edge closer to relegation

Aston Villa 2-2 West Brom: Sam Allardyce rues late goal as Baggies edge towards relegation

West Brom's players dropped to their knees when referee Stuart Attwell blew for full time after seeing three points ripped from their grasp by Davis' dramatic goal.

They had shown tremendous character to bounce back from Thursday's tame defeat at Leicester and come from behind to lead their West Midlands rivals at Villa Park,

West Brom started this game 10 points from safety following Burnley's handsome win at Wolves earlier on Sunday and could quite easily have collapsed after El Gahzi's ninth minute penalty.

Instead they clawed their way back with Pereira outstanding, the former Sporting Lisbon player scoring one, hitting the bar and setting up numeous chances for his team-mates.

At the other end Sam Johnstone, whose long clearance led to the second goal, produced a huge save to stop England striker Ollie Watkins from equalising.

But they could not hold on and face a quick return to the Championship one season after winning automatic promotion with Leeds.

West Brom's Okay Yokuslu reacts after Aston Villa score a late equaliser
West Brom were moments away from a sixth Premier League win of the season when Villa equalised in stoppage time

Wesley enjoys Villa return

Despite Davis' equaliser, it is now one win in eight games for an Aston Villa side who continue to miss their influential captain Jack Grealish.

Villa's season is fizzling out but there were positives for Dean Smith despite their failure to secure maximum points against their struggling neighbours.

While it remains unclear when Grealish will be back, Brazilian striker Wesley got his first taste of action 480 days after he suffered a serious knee injury.

Defeat would have been a travesty for Villa - Smith

Mid-table Villa have taken just six points from the last 24 on offer but against West Brom they at least showed they are prepared to battle to the end.

Smith knows he has work to do to improve his squad this summer but this has been a highly satisfactory season for Villa after surviving relegation on the final day of last season.

More saves than anyone else - the stats

  • Including nine in this game, West Brom's Sam Johnstone has made 137 saves in this season's Premier League, more than any other goalkeeper.
  • Anwar El Ghazi has scored five goals against West Brom in all competitions, at least three more than he has against any other opponent in his time at Aston Villa.
  • Tyrone Mings' own goal was Aston Villa's first of the season, and 47th overall in their Premier League history. Only Everton (53) have scored more own goals in the competition.
  • West Brom have picked up just 11 points in their 17 away league outings this season. Only relegated Sheffield United (four) have fewer away points in this season's Premier League.

What's next?

Villa are away at Everton on Saturday (20:00 BST) while West Brom host neighbours Wolves in the Black Country derby on Monday, 3 May (18:00).

Player of the match

Matheus PereiraMatheus Pereira

with an average of 6.77

Aston Villa

  1. Squad number39Player nameDavis
    Average rating

    6.77

  2. Squad number11Player nameWatkins
    Average rating

    6.51

  3. Squad number26Player nameMartínez
    Average rating

    6.45

  4. Squad number18Player nameTargett
    Average rating

    6.36

  5. Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
    Average rating

    6.11

  6. Squad number41Player nameRamsey
    Average rating

    5.92

  7. Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi
    Average rating

    5.88

  8. Squad number27Player nameAhmed El Mohamady
    Average rating

    5.80

  9. Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
    Average rating

    5.56

  10. Squad number9Player nameWesley
    Average rating

    5.48

  11. Squad number4Player nameKonsa
    Average rating

    5.45

  12. Squad number15Player nameTraoré
    Average rating

    5.31

  13. Squad number5Player nameMings
    Average rating

    5.25

  14. Squad number20Player nameBarkley
    Average rating

    5.04

West Bromwich Albion

  1. Squad number12Player nameMatheus Pereira
    Average rating

    6.77

  2. Squad number1Player nameJohnstone
    Average rating

    6.35

  3. Squad number30Player nameMaitland-Niles
    Average rating

    6.05

  4. Squad number18Player nameGallagher
    Average rating

    5.87

  5. Squad number17Player nameDiagne
    Average rating

    5.75

  6. Squad number2Player nameFurlong
    Average rating

    5.74

  7. Squad number35Player nameYokuslu
    Average rating

    5.68

  8. Squad number7Player nameRobinson
    Average rating

    5.65

  9. Squad number14Player nameTownsend
    Average rating

    5.64

  10. Squad number10Player namePhillips
    Average rating

    5.56

  11. Squad number6Player nameAjayi
    Average rating

    5.54

  12. Squad number5Player nameBartley
    Average rating

    5.34

  13. Squad number27Player nameO'Shea
    Average rating

    4.98

Line-ups

Aston Villa

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 26Martínez
  • 27El Mohamady
  • 4Konsa
  • 5Mings
  • 18Targett
  • 6Douglas LuizSubstituted forRamseyat 78'minutes
  • 7McGinn
  • 15TraoréSubstituted forWesleyat 90+1'minutes
  • 20BarkleySubstituted forDavisat 82'minutes
  • 21El Ghazi
  • 11Watkins

Substitutes

  • 1Heaton
  • 3Taylor
  • 9Wesley
  • 19Nakamba
  • 22Engels
  • 30Hause
  • 39Davis
  • 41Ramsey
  • 52Philogene-Bidace

West Brom

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Johnstone
  • 2Furlong
  • 6Ajayi
  • 5Bartley
  • 14Townsend
  • 35YokusluBooked at 77mins
  • 12Costa Pereira
  • 18GallagherBooked at 54mins
  • 30Maitland-NilesSubstituted forO'Sheaat 86'minutes
  • 7RobinsonSubstituted forPhillipsat 67'minutes
  • 17Diagne

Substitutes

  • 4Robson-Kanu
  • 8Livermore
  • 10Phillips
  • 11Diangana
  • 19Sawyers
  • 22Peltier
  • 25Button
  • 27O'Shea
  • 29Grant
Referee:
Stuart Attwell

Match Stats

Home TeamAston VillaAway TeamWest Brom
Possession
Home70%
Away30%
Shots
Home24
Away10
Shots on Target
Home11
Away4
Corners
Home11
Away4
Fouls
Home14
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady.

  4. Post update

    Attempt saved. Wesley (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady with a cross.

  5. Goal!

    Goal! Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from very close range to the high centre of the goal.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Aston Villa. Wesley replaces Bertrand Traoré.

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Matheus Pereira.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Matt Targett (Aston Villa).

  9. Post update

    Mbaye Diagne (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Post update

    Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Tyrone Mings following a corner.

  11. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  12. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Anwar El Ghazi with a cross.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Dara O'Shea replaces Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

  14. Post update

    Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Darnell Furlong.

  15. Post update

    Attempt saved. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bertrand Traoré.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Aston Villa. Keinan Davis replaces Ross Barkley.

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady.

  18. Post update

    Matt Targett (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion).

  20. Post update

    Foul by Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa).

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Comments

Join the conversation

158 comments

  • Comment posted by highbury81, today at 21:08

    So good to see Wesley back in the PL after his ACL injury. 16 months getting back to fitness. Let’s hope he builds on tonight’s 5 mins and starts banging them in for the Villa

  • Comment posted by highbury81, today at 21:02

    So pleased for Keinan Davies. Works bloody hard whenever he gets on the pitch. To get his first PL goal tonight, I hope he goes on to get many more.

    • Reply posted by Antlion, today at 21:05

      Antlion replied:
      He could be the answer Aston Villa are seeking to lead the team. He was very persistent for those 15 minutes he was on.

  • Comment posted by Paul M, today at 21:01

    Entertaining game from both teams - best match today !

  • Comment posted by bobby smith, today at 21:14

    Are weest Brom down upvote yes downvote no

  • Comment posted by Walkeden, today at 21:14

    So Sam it’s probably time to resign now to protect your “never been relegated “ claim to fame....
    3 wins in 22 games .... school report “Big Sam could do better”

    • Reply posted by accobra, today at 21:16

      accobra replied:
      He won't resign because he'll lose his pay off

  • Comment posted by Tacca, today at 21:26

    I've been impressed with WBA and Fulham in the last month or two, not the worst teams in the league anymore but it's a shame it has come too late for them.

    Will be backing them both to bounce back.

    • Reply posted by sarah taylor, today at 22:01

      sarah taylor replied:
      Impressed? They have 5 wins from 33 games!

  • Comment posted by We-are-all-equal-but-some-oinks-are-more-equal, today at 21:01

    Villa should be winning games like this.

    • Reply posted by Marmaduke, today at 21:19

      Marmaduke replied:
      Why you are as useless as Westbrom

  • Comment posted by Junction 8 M27, today at 21:04

    W B A Down and Out

    • Reply posted by KLOPP OUT, today at 21:48

      KLOPP OUT replied:
      So are VillHa.

      Bolted on for relegation next year.

  • Comment posted by David , today at 21:00

    Nine pints from safety.... Think the bloke that wrote this is 12 pints into his night?!

  • Comment posted by ODM, today at 21:14

    Come on Deano give Davis a start up top with Ollie, season's over anyway so why not?

    • Reply posted by highbury81, today at 21:18

      highbury81 replied:
      Would prefer to see Louie Barry given a chance

  • Comment posted by highbury81, today at 21:03

    Thought that was at least an entertaining game. Two soft pens, own goal, plenty of woodwork struck and an injury time equaliser. Would have preferred all three points, but think Baggies defo gone now.

  • Comment posted by Jgibbo, today at 21:28

    I think that's WBA down now... Johnstone why didnt you just come and claim the ball? With no Villa pressure on you Davis only came in at your indecision

  • Comment posted by pro ESL that swashbuckling polander of garwolin, today at 21:26

    Our British born managers Dean Bruce Allardyce Dyche deserve better. Give them a big hand and some credit of recognition. They face daily discrimination, criticism here and everywhere, expectations are high yet they work on relatively low budget with stingy and difficult owners. Well done to the sons of these British shores. Let's admire their achievements as they are over achieving.

  • Comment posted by Foxes, today at 21:25

    Burnley win and West Brom only managing a point, killed any hope of them staying up. Unlike with the last minute goal but you have got to clear it really and not mess around

  • Comment posted by Gunner-Maggot, today at 21:25

    I posted a long time ago when Villa were close to top 4 suggesting they would finish mid table, and that given last season that should be seen as a good improvement and a good season. Villa fans blasted me and insisted they had every right to believe in top 4 and were good enough to mix it with the top boys! .... for the record I still believe this is a good year for them given they just stayed up

    • Reply posted by MrPostal, today at 21:30

      MrPostal replied:
      Same here, glad to stay up, mid table is more realistic for Villa. If we had got a european place it would have been at least a season too soon

  • Comment posted by Rob G, today at 21:08

    Mute point and not that it would have made any difference but how do you get 4 minutes of injury time when neither trainers been on the pitch?

  • Comment posted by Gammie, today at 21:47

    Boing boing gone.

  • Comment posted by Duffa_Boy, today at 21:44

    I don't think Big Sam can save the Baggies this time

  • Comment posted by downroverdown, today at 21:44

    'West Brom are nine pints from safety with five games left'.They should have signed Danny Drinkwater!

  • Comment posted by KarlWBA, today at 21:26

    Neither tiny pieces of contact , both now seen as a `coming together`, small collisions in a contact sport was a penalty, VAR and the refs are facilitating to movement away of a contact sport to a non contact sport..shambles

    • Reply posted by accobra, today at 21:33

      accobra replied:
      Couldn't agree more. Cut out the diving and foul thro-ins. Refs take responsibility supported by F.A. and get to normality

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2Man Utd331910464352967
3Leicester32185958372159
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15Southampton32106164058-1836
16Newcastle3399153654-1836
17Brighton33713133339-634
18Fulham33512162543-1827
19West Brom33510183064-3425
20Sheff Utd3352261856-3817
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