Aston Villa 2-2 Sunderland: Fuming Sherwood cannot kick-start Villa season

Yann M’Vila gave Sunderland the lead with 25-yard free-kick despatched beyond Brad Guzan after 9 minutes
Scott Sinclair penalty equalised for Aston Villa just three minutes later after Lee Cattermole fouled the forward
Sinclair then met Idrissa Gueye’s cross to put Tim Sherwood’s side ahead with half-time fast approaching
Jeremain Lens levelled for the Black Cats seven minutes into second half after latching onto Ola Toivonen’s pass

Published:
15:51 GMT, 29 August 2015

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Updated:
23:49 GMT, 29 August 2015

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Tim Sherwood famously lives every kick his team take but against Sunderland he even managed to injure himself during the heat of the action.

Furious that referee Robert Madley booked Carles Gil for diving rather than award Aston Villa a late penalty, Sherwood took his frustrations out on the touchline drinks.

‘I didn’t do my hamstring when I played but I’ve done it now as a manager,’ he laughed. ‘I was going to kick the water bottles forward but there were too many people so I thought I’d be polite and backheel them. I’ve done it bad!’

Tim Sherwood was a passionate onlooker once more as his side were unable to record their first home win of the season over Sunderland

Scott Sinclair celebrates scoring Aston Villa’s second goal at Villa Park with Idrissa Gueye in Villa’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday

Yann M’Vila gave Sunderland an eighth-minute lead with a well executed free-kick for the visitors giving Brad Guzan no chance in goal

Sherwood is right in that Villa should have taken all three points from this game such was their attacking impetus, but the penalty decision he was so angered by is less clear cut.

Substitute Gil looked set for a winning goal when he took the ball round Younes Kaboul in the area with Costel Pantilimon stranded. But Gil fell as the defender slid in.

Replays suggested any contact was minimal, but Sherwood disagreed. ‘I still think it’s a penalty, otherwise he rolls it into the net. Why else does he go down? He is clean through.’

M’Vila celebrates his opening goal with Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole at Villa Park but the Black Cats were pegged back

The former Dynamo Kiev midfielder was delighted with his effort and headed straight to the visitors’ bench to celebrate with his strike

MATCH FACTS, STATS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE FROM VILLA PARK

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Clark, Amavi; Bacuna (Gil 68), Gana, Westwood; Sanchez, Sinclair, Gestede.

Unused subs: Bunn, Bennett, Cole, Veretout, Kozak, Ayew.

Goals: Sinclair 11 (pen), 41.

Booked: Clark, Gil.

Sunderland (4-5-1): Pantilimon, Jones, van Aanholt, O’Shea, Kaboul, Cattermole (Toivonen 46), M’Vila, Rodwell, Lens (Larsson 77) , Defoe, Graham (Fletcher 46).

Unused subs: Coates, Watmore, Gooch, Mannone.

Goals: M’Vila 8, Lens 52.

Referee: Robert Madley

Attendance: 35,399

Scott Sinclair’s second goal as shown by our match zone – CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Villa should have won this game in any case. A combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping earned Dick Advocaat’s side a point.

In the 58th minute Micah Richards missed an open goal from two yards out from Scott Sinclair’s cross.

Sinclair had shown how it should be done four minutes before half-time when he converted from close range from Jordan Amavi’s cross. In the 11th minute he had converted a penalty after Lee Cattermole’s stupid foul on him to level the game following Yann M’Vila’s superb eighth-minute free-kick.

Cattermole’s ridiculous challenge — clambering all over Sinclair at a corner — earned him a half-time substitution. He was taken off after 30 minutes of the opening day defeat at Leicester when he also gave away a penalty.

‘There was no need for that kind of penalty but I will never say anything bad about Lee Cattermole because last season he did brilliant for the team,’ said Advocaat.

Jeremain Lens scored Sunderland’s equaliser seven minutes after the break. Substitute Ola Toivonen, signed on loan from Rennes on Friday, won possession in midfield and played a good ball to Lens, whose shot deflected off Richards to deceive Brad Guzan.

Ashley Westwood nearly won it in the 81st minute with a well-struck shot, but Pantilimon reacted to push the ball to safety. Advocaat wants, and needs, reinforcements.

‘We had some problem with the movement of their wingers,’ he said. ‘On Tuesday it really starts that we know what players we will have.’