Game #3477
Aston Villa
11-6-9, 28 PTS

Saturday, 4 February 1978
8th= (+2)
Last 5: ๐จ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐ฉ ๐ฉ
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
FB Gordon Smith | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Tommy Craig | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Leighton Phillips | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M John Gregory | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F Brian Little | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982

Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
M Gary Shelton | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
None
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Trophy Record
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Matchday Squad
Unavailable
Injury | 3 |
FB John Robson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Alex Cropley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
CF Andy Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Team News
John Gregory replaces John Gidman.
Team Stats
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.97 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 30.01 |
Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 19.29 |
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None
On This Day
Villa record successive League wins for the first time since November to make it eleven wins, six draws and nine defeats in twenty six division one games this season under Ron Saunders.
Played in terrible conditions that only the referee - and apparently Ron Saunders - believed was appropriate for football, Villa secure victory to move back to 8th in the table for the first time since November.
Gordon Cowans secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 52nd appearance (38 Starts) to make it W25 D10 L17, 6 Goals and 3 Assists so far in his Villa career.
Midfielder Gary Shelton makes his first appearance in the Villa squad aged 19 after joining from Walsall in January for a fee of ยฃ60,000.
Starting XI

Won
1-0
๐ฉ 4 Feb 1978, Villa 1-0 Arsenal, Highbury
Scorer(s) | Own Goal | 22' |
Assist(s) | None
Match Timeline
โฝ | 22โ Goal, 1-0, Own Goal, Malcolm MacDonald
๐ | HT Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
๐ | FT Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #36 |
League Match-week | #26 |
Manager Game | #195 |
Saturday, 4 February 1978
Match Record
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Lester Shapter | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Torquay, 1978-1991
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: ๐ฉ 1-0
FT Result: ๐ฉ Won
FT Score: ๐ฉ 1-0
Last 5: ๐จ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐ฉ ๐ฉ
Officials
Referee: Lester Shapter | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Torquay, 1978-1991
Match Stats
Not recorded
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
๐ 195 | ๐ฉ | 93 ๐จ | 49 ๐ฅ 53 | 1.68
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
What they Said
"The goal was a bit fortunate but, at that stage we should have been ahead anyway because I thought we were a bit special in the first half.
"The conditions were bad but at no stage did I think the game should have been stopped.
โThe continual rain kept the surface playable."
Ron Saunders.
Division One
Arsenal
14-5-8, 33 PTS
Highbury
Attendance: 30,127
GK Pat Jennings | ๐ฌ๐ง |
RB Pat Rice | ๐ฌ๐ง |
CB David OโLeary | ๐ฎ๐ช |
CB Willie Young | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
LB Sammy Nelson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M David Price | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Alan Hudson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Liam Brady | ๐ฎ๐ช |
M Graham Rix | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Malcolm Macdonald | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Frank Stapleton | ๐ฎ๐ช |
Terry Neill | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
W Mark Heeley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
None
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Opposition Trophy Record
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐
League Cup Winners: โ
Last Trophy: 1970โ71
Opposition Matchday Squad
Opposition Unavailable
Not Recorded
League Table
1977-78
Playing Squad






























