Villa 🟥 lose to Middlesbrough for the first time in seven years and 🟥 lose for the first time in nine this season as they are beaten at Ayresome Park in the final game of 1976.  

Despite a late rally that threatened a draw after David Hughes’ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 debut goal, Villa were left with too much to do after a suicidal first half performance.

Ron Saunders' Villa make it 🟩 eleven wins, 🟨 three draws and 🟥 six defeats in 🕒 twenty division one games this season. 

Midfielder David Hughes 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 18 makes a goalscoring debut in a Villa shirt after joining from junior football in June 1974.

Midfielder Dennis Mortimer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 contributes his 10th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 38th appearance.

Gordon Cowans 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 hits his ⚽ first goal for Villa to round off a resounding victory as he collects the ball from John Deehan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 on the edge of the area, flicks it into the air, before volleying it into the roof of the net.

Villa make it ⚽ ten goals in 🕒 three games without reply as they take their Cup form into the league. 

Villa make it 🟩 fourteen wins, 🟨 three draws and 🟥 eight defeats in 🕒 twenty five division one games this season under 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ron Saunders

Midfielder Gordon Cowans 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 scores his first goal in a ⚽ Villa shirt on his 🕒 9th appearance.

Midfielder Dennis Mortimer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 scores his ⚽ 5th goal and contributes his ⚽ 🔥 15th goal involvement on his 🕒 49th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Centre forward John Deehan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 contributes his 🔥 5th assist s in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 33rd appearance.

Right back John Gidman 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 contributes his ⚽ 🔥 20th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 143rd appearance at a rate of one every 7.15 games.

Villa play their seventh game in 21 days as they beat Norwich to remain fifth in the table, seven points behind leaders Liverpool with three games in hand. In search of their latest win to keep up their title chase, Villa are subject to the typical foul play repertoire of John Bond’s Norwich who are lucky not to have players sent from the field for their over the top tackling.

Ron Saunders' Villa in the boss' 150th game in charge record a fourth successive League win to make it nineteen wins, five draws and nine defeats in thirty three division one games this season. As Villa win, title rivals Ipswich lose again and now have a lead of just six points against Villa's five games in hand. Liverpool and Manchester City make up the rest of the challengers.

Villa play their eighth game in 23 days as a second string side, with even some third string in there are beaten by Arsenal to remain fifth in the table, seven points behind leaders Liverpool but now with only two games in hand. 

Ron Saunders' Villa lose for the first time in five as to quote a contemporary match report "This was the night the season caught up the Aston Villa. With a third of their first team squad injured and with four tired or untested teenagers in their places ...". 

Villa make it nineteen wins, five draws and ten defeats in thirty four division one games this season. As a result Villa now have four games in hand over Ipswich Town who did not play and are now down to six points ahead but both Manchester City and Liverpool remain in strong positions in the four way fight for the title. 

Meanwhile midfielder David Hughes made his fifth and final appearance for Villa aged 19 before moving on to Lincoln City in April 1978.