Game #4522
Saturday, 2 May 1998
Attendance: 34,177
Won
Premier League
7th (+1)
Sheffield Wednesday
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟩
Hillsborough
Villa recover from their second top flight defeat under John Gregory to win for the ninth time in eleven Premier League games and climb to 7th in the table.
Sheffield Wednesday
1-3
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Fernando Nélson | 21’ | Julian Joachim | 25’ | Dwight Yorke | 50’ |
KEY MAN
Gareth Barry, debut
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
⚽ | 21’ Goal, 1-0, Dwight Yorke, Assist by Fernando Nélson
⚽ | 25’ Goal, 2-0, Lee Hendrie, Assist by Julian Joachim
🕒 | HT Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Aston Villa
🔁 | 49’ Sub off, Ian Taylor, Sub on, Gareth Barry 🟢
⚽ | 50’ Goal, 3-0, Julian Joachim, Assist by Dwight Yorke
🔁 | 68’ Sub off, Lee Hendrie, Sub on, Darren Byfield
🥅 | 89’ Goal, 3-1, (Sheffield Wednesday), Francesco Sanetti
🕒 | FT Sheffield Wednesday 1-3 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Villa had now won 8 of their 10 Premier League games under John Gregory to put them 7th in the table - their highest position of the season.
Midfielder Gareth Barry made his Villa debut aged 17 as a 49’ substitute for Ian Taylor after joining Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion in July 1997.
Former Villa defender Earl Barrett and future Villa forward Benito Carbone lined up for Sheffield Wednesday with former Villa centre forward Guy Whittingham entering the fray as a 35’ substitute.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Sheffield Wednesday
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆
Last Trophy: 1990–91
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Wednesday: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟥 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1997-98 |
Matchday | #50 |
League Game | #37 |
Manager Game | #12 |
Saturday, 2 May 1998
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: John Gregory | 🏴 | Scunthorpe, 1998-2002
Referee: Martin Bodenham | 🏴 | Looe, 1981-1998
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 2-0
FT Score: 🟩 3-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟩
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Martin Bodenham | 🏴 | Looe, 1981-1998
Previous 5: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟥 🟥
Last Match: 🟥 18 February 1998, Villa 0-2 Manchester United, Villa Park.
Cards: 🟨 🟨
CARDS
Villa
🟨
Sheffield Wednesday
🟨
TEAM NEWS
Michael Oakes, Fernando Nélson and Simon Grayson return for Mark Bosnich, Savo Milošević and Steve Staunton.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.16 |
Oldest Player
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 29.93 |
Youngest Player
M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 | 20.97 |
MANAGER
John Gregory | 🏴 |
MANAGER
Ron Atkinson | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Michael Oakes | 🏴 |
RB Simon Grayson | 🏴 |
RB Fernando Nélson | 🇵🇹 | 🔥 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
CB Gareth Southgate | 🏴 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
M Mark Draper | 🏴 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 | ⚽ | 🔥 |
CF Julian Joachim | 🏴 | ⚽ | 🔥 |
Sheffield Wednesday
GK Kevin Pressman | 🏴 |
RB Peter Atherton | 🏴 |
RB Earl Barrett (ex) | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CB Des Walker | 🏴 |
CB Dejan Stefanović | 🇷🇸 | 🟨 |
CB Émerson Thome | 🇧🇷 | 🔁 |
LB Andy Hinchcliffe | 🏴 |
M Mark Pembridge | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Graham Hyde | 🏴 |
F Benito Carbone | 🇮🇹 |
CF Paulo Di Canio | 🇮🇹 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Gareth Barry | 🏴 | 🟢 | for M Ian Taylor | 🏴 | 49’ |
🔁 | CF Darren Byfield | 🏴 | for M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 | 68’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | RB Earl Barrett (ex) | 🏴 | (M Jim Magilton | 🇬🇧 |)
🔁 | CB Émerson Thome | 🇧🇷 | (CF Guy Whittingham (ex) | 🏴 |)
🔁 | M Mark Pembridge | 🏴 | (F Francesco Sanetti | 🇮🇹 | ⚽ |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Adam Rachel | 🏴 |
CF Stan Collymore | 🏴 |
CF Savo Milošević | 🇷🇸 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Matt Clarke | 🏴 |
M Lee Briscoe | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 13/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 7/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
M Gareth Barry | 🏴 |
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE

PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
"During the course of the game Sheffield boss Ron Atkinson changed tactics and personnel, but it did nothing to alter the outcome as Villa served notice of just what could be on offer next season in a complete campaign under Gregory."
*Sunday Tribune*
Sunday, 3 May 1998
ASTON Villa stayed on course for Europe by inflicting on Sheffield Wednesday their first home Premiership defeat in more than four months in a game that was marred by an angry fan confronting visiting boss John Gregory.
Gregory’s anxiety will have been eased though by goals from Dwight Yorke, Lee Hendrie and Julian Joachim which keep Villa on the brink of a place in next season's UEFA Cup.
Villa were never shackled at any time by Wednesday, who looked like a side at the end of their season and with nothing left to play for.
During the course of the game Sheffield boss Ron Atkinson changed tactics and personnel, but it did nothing to alter the outcome as Villa served notice of just what could be on offer next season in a complete campaign under Gregory.
Villa never looked troubled at any time in making it eight League wins in 10 games since Gregory took charge, stroking the ball around, playing patient football and waiting for the openings to appear. It did not take long for Wednesday to be prised apart.
In the 21st minute, Nelson whipped in a curling cross for Yorke to side foot home his 15th goal of the season from just outside the six-yard box.
Four minutes later, Villa doubled their advantage with a Lee Hendrie strike.
Former Villa boss Atkinson changed tactics 10 minutes from half-time but Villa continued to rip through the Wednesday rearguard at will and should have been four goals clear at the break.
Eventually, they went 3-0 up in the 50th minute with debutant Gareth Barry playing his part with his second touch of the ball.
Barry, on seconds earlier for the injured Taylor, provided a simple pass for Yorke to touch on to Joachim and the striker beat Pressman from six yards.
Italian teenager Francesco Sanetti showed he could be one for the future as he beat Oakes in the 89th minute. Too little, too late for Wednesday.