Tony Barton’s Villa win their final League game of the season and make it nine Division One wins, five draws and five defeats under his leadership. In total Barton had now led Villa for twenty four games and delivered eleven wins, seven draws and six defeats since taking over from Ron Saunders whose record over 35 games in 1981-82 had been fifteen wins, eight draws and twelve losses. Villa’s unsuccessful title defence had consisted of fifteen wins, twelve draws and fifteen defeats across the 42 game season. In truth, Villa’s inability to win or hold onto a lead under Saunders over the opening months of the season set the tone for the campaign. Those draws would turn to defeats more often and despite a regular pattern of wins, Villa, under Saunders, sat nearer the relegation places than the title in what was proving to be one of the weakest ever title defences. Ron Saunders’ departure, whilst unexpected given what had gone before, was perhaps not surprising given the context of the situation as background acrimony and a downturn in form combined to leave a manager questioning where further he could, or wanted, to take Villa. Indeed Tony Barton’s arrival as Villa boss, after stepping up from his role as Saunders’ assistant, paid almost immediate dividends and though losses and draws were still in evidence, the wins, and goals began to flow again. Saunders’ win rate of 43% was comparable to Barton’s 48%, but it was the loss rate that was the real differentiator as Saunders’ Villa lost one in three compared to Barton’s one in four. Ultimately Barton’s better results drove Villa up to 11th in the table but 1981-82 wasn’t a great League season for Villa, in fact it wasn’t even a good one but one game remained that if it should be won would render everything that had gone before in ’81-82 irrelevant.