Villa lose for the 10th time in 19 Premier League games under Graham Taylor, winning just 5. 

Villa fail to score for the 4th time in 6 League games under Graham Taylor.

Villa lose against Birmingham for the first time in 7 games and for the first time at St Andrews' since 1984.

This latest defeat however, despite the form of the team under Graham Taylor, was totally unexpected and represented Villa’s first reverse against their neighbours in over 15 years. 

The major talking point however was referee David Elleray’s decision to allow a goal that wasn’t. 

Olof Mellberg took a throw in with the intention of passing the ball back to ‘keeper Enckelman however Enckelman, for unknown reasons, failed to connect with and allowed the ball roll past his foot and into the net. 

As such the ball hadn’t been touched from the throw-in and was officially a dead ball. 

Obviously a dead ball meant no goal could be conceded.

Elleray however either misinterpreted the rules or misread the passage of play - he would never admit either - and erroneously awarded the goal to Birmingham. 

Few recall anything other than Enckelman but the the real mistake was Elleray’s seemingly forgotten misapplication of the rules. 

On the night however, despite a questionable offside decision ruling out a Villa equaliser, Graham Taylor’s side put in a performance of little quality that had become the norm over the previous six months and Birmingham, nearly two decades in the making, recorded a deserved win over their more decorated neighbours. 

Considered by many of the Blues’ persuasion to be the greatest night in their history, the victory triggered scenes of jubilation across Small Heath.

In 2023, in AVFC History’s conversation with Darius Vassell, the player whose goal Elleray incorrectly disallowed, the former Villa striker recollected in minute detail the validity of his goal and revealed that the real anger of that night amongst the Villa team was Elleray’s performance and his 57’ decision.

Steve Staunton makes his 325th appearance in a Villa shirt (313 Starts) to make it W134 D86 L105, 20 Goals, 36 Assists, 22 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Juan Pablo Ángel makes his 50th appearance in a Villa shirt (42 Starts) to make it W19 D11 L20, 17 Goals, 6 Assists and 6 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one for every 2.17 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Alpay Özalan plays successive games for the first time under Graham Taylor and first time since December 2001 to make it 63 appearances in a Villa shirt, W25 D18 L20 and 17 Bookings.