๐ฅ 2 May 1981, Villa 0-2 Arsenal, Highbury
Scorer(s) | None
Assist(s) | None
Fixture List
๐ฉ 16 Aug 1980, Villa 2-1 Leeds, Elland Road
Division One
๐ฉ 20 Aug 1980, Villa 1-0 Norwich, Villa Park
Division One
๐จ 23 Aug 1980, Villa 2-2 Manchester City, Maine Road
Division One
๐ฉ 27 Aug 1980, Villa 1-0 Leeds, Villa Park
League Cup
๐ฉ 30 Aug 1980, Villa 1-0 Coventry, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 3 Sep 1980, Villa 3-1 Leeds, Elland Road
League Cup
๐ฅ 6 Sep 1980, Villa 0-1 Ipswich, Portman Road
Division One
๐ฅ 13 Sep 1980, Villa 0-2 Everton, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 20 Sep 1980, Villa 2-1 Wolves, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 23 Sep 1980, Villa 1-2 Cambridge, Abbey Stadium
League Cup
๐ฉ 27 Sep 1980, Villa 1-0 Palace, Selhurst
Division One
๐ฉ 4 Oct 1980, Villa 4-0 Sunderland, Villa Park
Division One
๐จ 8 Oct 1980, Villa 3-3 United, Old Trafford
Division One
๐ฉ 11 Oct 1980, Villa 2-1 Birmingham, St Andrew's
Division One
๐ฉ 18 Oct 1980, Villa 3-0 Spurs, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 22 Oct 1980, Villa 4-1 Brighton, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 25 Oct 1980, Villa 2-1 Southampton, The Dell
Division One
๐ฉ 1 Nov 1980, Villa 2-0 Leicester, Villa Park
Division One
๐จ 8 Nov 1980, Villa 0-0 Albion, Hawthorns
Division One
๐ฉ 12 Nov 1980, Villa 3-1 Norwich, Carrow Road
Division One
๐จ 15 Nov 1980, Villa 1-1 Leeds, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 22 Nov 1980, Villa 1-2 Liverpool, Anfield
Division One
๐จ 29 Nov 1980, Villa 1-1 Arsenal, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 6 Dec 1980, Villa 1-2 Boro, Ayresome
Division One
๐ฉ 13 Dec 1980, Villa 3-0 Birmingham, Villa Park.
Division One
๐ฅ 20 Dec 1980, Villa 0-1 Brighton, Goldstone
Division One
๐ฉ 26 Dec 1980, Villa 1-0 Stoke, Villa Park
Division One
๐จ 27 Dec 1980, Villa 2-2 Forest, City Ground
Division One
๐ฅ 3 Jan 1981, Villa 0-1 Ipswich, Portman Road
FA Cup
๐ฉ 10 Jan 1981, Villa 2-0 Liverpool, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 17 Jan 1981, Villa 2-1 Coventry, Highfield Road
Division One
๐ฉ 31 Jan 1981, Villa 1-0 Manchester City, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 7 Feb 1981, Villa 3-1 Everton, Goodison
Division One
๐ฉ 21 Feb 1981, Villa 2-1 Palace, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 28 Feb 1981, Villa 1-0 Wolves, Molineux
Division One
๐ฉ 7 Mar 1981, Villa 2-1 Sunderland, Roker
Division One
๐จ 14 Mar 1981, Villa 3-3 United, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 21 Mar 1981, Villa 0-2 Spurs, White Hart Lane.
Division One
๐ฉ 28 Mar 1981, Villa 2-1 Southampton, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 4 Apr 1981, Villa 4-2 Leicester, Filbert Street
Division One
๐ฉ 8 Apr 1981, Villa 1-0 Albion, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 14 Apr 1981, Villa 1-2 Ipswich, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฉ 18 Apr 1981, Villa 2-0 Forest, Villa Park
Division One
๐จ 20 Apr 1981, Villa 1-1 Stoke, Victoria Ground
Division One
๐ฉ 25 Apr 1981, Villa 3-0 Boro, Villa Park
Division One
๐ฅ 2 May 1981, Villa 0-2 Arsenal, Highbury
Division One
On This Day
Saturday, 2 May 1981
Scroll for more โฌ๏ธ
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
๐ 359 | ๐ฉ | 165 ๐จ | 97 ๐ฅ 97 | 1.65
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
Game #3641
Match Record
Season | 1980-81 |
Matchday | #46 |
League Match | #42 |
Manager Game | #359 |
Saturday, 2 May 1981
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: David Hutchinson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Cambridgeshire, 1981-1989
HT Score: ๐ฅ 0-2
FT Result: ๐ฅ Lost
FT Score: ๐ฅ 0-2
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ
Head to Head
Previous 5 vs. Arsenal: ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐ฅ ๐จ
Total ๐ 117 | ๐ฉ W51 (44% ) | ๐จ D23 | ๐บ(63% ) | ๐ฅ L43 (37% ) | โฝ 196 | ๐ฅ 176 | GD 20
Trophy Cabinet
Aston Villa
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Arsenal
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐
League Cup Winners: โ
Last Trophy: 1978โ79
Squad News
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None
Match Timeline
๐ฅ
| 11' Goal, 0-1, (Arsenal), Willie Young
๐ฅ
| 44' Goal, 0-2, (Arsenal), Brian McDermott
๐ | HT Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa
๐ | FT Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa
Officials
Referee: David Hutchinson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Cambridgeshire, 1981-1989
Officials
Referee Profile
VAR Profile (Post 2021)
Officials
Villa Bookings
None
Villa Sendings Off
None
Opposition Bookings
๐จ
Opposition Sendings Off
None
Match Stats
Not recorded
Line Up & Subs
Aston Villa
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
RB Kenny Swain | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Allan Evans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Des Bremner | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Colin Gibson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
W Tony Morley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F Gary Shaw | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Peter Withe | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
LB Eamonn Deacy | ๐ฎ๐ช |
Arsenal
Terry Neill | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
GK Pat Jennings | ๐ฌ๐ง |
CB David OโLeary | ๐ฎ๐ช |
CB Willie Young | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | โฝ |
LB Kenny Sansom | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M John Hollins | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Brian Talbot | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
M Paul Davis | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Brian McDermott | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
CF Alan Sunderland | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Frank Stapleton | ๐ฎ๐ช |
CF Charlie Nicholas | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
๐ | M Brian Talbot | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | (LB Sammy Nelson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |)
Unused Substitutes
None
Team News
Aston Villa
Not recorded
Ron Saunders names the same line up for a third successive match.
Arsenal
Not Recorded
Matchday Squads
Aston Villa
Arsenal
Match Media
What they Said
โItโs been a long season and those players deserve an enormous amount of credit.
โWhen weโve played badly thieve buckled down and got on with it.
Ron Saunders.
โWE are the champions !
โAston Villa are kings of the First Division castle.
โAnd let's get one thing straightโwe thoroughly deserve the club's first championship for 71 years.
โVilla have won more points and more matches this season than anyone else in the First Division.
โThat is what makes champions in the toughest league in the world.
โAnd although public sympathy has all been on the side of Ipswich, who made a marvellous bid for the treble, they did not surrender the League Championship to us.
โWe won it on merit.
โWe knew we had won the title when a crescendo of noise greeted our 2-0 defeat.
โOur only regret was in not ending the season in style. We had a real Highbury rocky horror show yesterday.
โIt wasn't a very dainty dish to put before the king of soccer, the great Pele.
โThere were cheers at the news that Middlesbrough had just snuffed out Ipswich's chances of catching us. [Ipswich finished the season four points behind Villa with two points awarded for a win].
โOur gaffer, Ron Saunders, said he knew when a friendly policeman told him Ipswich had lost. And he said: "That might just have saved a few of my player's lives."
โYes, the tension really got to us, and against a side as good as Arsenal you have got to be at your very best to take anything.
โBut we haven't played badly very often this season. I know, because I haven't missed any of our 42 matches. But the secret of our success is quite simple.
โWe have a squad of fourteen honest players who have played for each other and for our gaffer all the way.
โAnd now we have won the title we know that every game next season will be like a Cup Final for us.
โBut that is something we are already looking forward to.
โWe are the champions - and we deserve to be.โ
Dennis Mortimer.
Match Highlights
Team Selection
Goalkeeper
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Substitutes
None
๐
๐
โฝ
Sub 1
๐ฅ
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 4
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 2
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 3
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 5
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
1980-81
First Team Squad
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #591 |
Goalkeeper
Where are they now?
Hamrun Spartans ๐ฒ๐น Retired
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | #590 |
Centre Back
Where are they now?
Sheffield United ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
RB Kenny Swain | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #602 |
Full Back
Where are they now?
Crewe Alexandra ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #580 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Birmingham City ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #582 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Burnley ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
CF David Geddis | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #607 |
Forward
Where are they now?
Darlington FC ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
CF Terry Donovan | ๐ฎ๐ช | #610 |
Forward
Where are they now?
Blackpool ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
CB Allan Evans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | #594 |
Centre Back
Where are they now?
Darlington FC ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
LB Eamonn Deacy | ๐ฎ๐ช | #609 |
Full Back
Where are they now?
Galway United ๐ฎ๐ช Died
LB Pat Heard | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #612 |
Full Back
Where are they now?
Brunei Darussalam ๐ฒ๐พ Retired
M Des Bremner | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | #606 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Stafford Rangers ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
M Robert Hopkins | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #613 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Colchester United ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Died 2026
F Gary Shaw | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #596 |
Forward
Where are they now?
Ernest Borel ๐ญ๐ฐ Died 2024
CB Brendan Ormsby | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #599 |
Centre Back
Where are they now?
Wigan Athletic ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
LB Gary Williams | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #598 |
Full Back
Where are they now?
Bradford City ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
M Colin Gibson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #601 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Walsall ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
M Gary Shelton | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #595 |
Midfielder
Where are they now?
Chester City ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
W Tony Morley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #604 |
Winger
Where are they now?
Hamrun Spartans ๐ฒ๐น Retired
CF Peter Withe | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #615 |
Forward
Where are they now?
Huddersfield Town ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Retired
Matchday Programme
League Table
