Sunderland 3 - 1 Aston VillaJermain Defoe brace seals win for Sunderland to deepen Aston Villa woesHome team scorersPatrick Van Aanholt 30
Jermain Defoe 72
Jermain Defoe 90 +1:52
Away team scorersCarles Gil 63
Jermain Defoe scores for Sunderland against Aston Villa
It is a year since Jermain Defoe became Sunderland’s highest paid player after arriving from FC Toronto. Since then Gus Poyet, Dick Advocaat and now Sam Allardyce have all struggled to fit the former England striker into their starting XIs and there has been interminable debate about whether he should be offloaded.
Along the way though Defoe has scored a few vital goals and none more so than the pair he registered here. Accommodated on Allardcye’s teamsheet he justified such faith by reviving Sunderland’s survival hopes as they ended a run of five straight defeats.
In truth Defoe’s contribution helped airbrush the flaws out of a less than convincing overall performance on a day when the expression on Remi Garde’s face confirmed that Villa are all but consigned to the Championship.
Still to win since Garde succeeded Tim Sherwood, Villa have only eight points and are now seven behind Sunderland who remain second bottom.
Garde had evidently identified Patrick van Aanholt as a weak link in Sunderland’s defensive armoury, judging by the way Leandro Bacuna ran at him at every opportunity. In one early cameo Allardyce’s left-back was all too easily turned by the right-sided midfielder before Bacuna supplied Jordan Veretout with a deep cross towards the far post.
Accepting the invitation, Veretout stretched to unleash a low volley which Vito Mannone – once again preferred to Costel Pantilimon in the home goal – did very well to palm to safety.
By then Bacuna had already dispossessed Lee Cattermole far too easily before embarking on a lengthy dribble which concluded with a shot directed wide. Wes Brown’s defensive positioning had helped put Bacuna off on that occasion but the veteran centre-half could have done without being booked for bringing down Jack Grealish.
All clever movement and slick little passes while frequently operating in the hole behind Rudy Gestede, Grealish, albeit all too briefly, lent Villa air of sophistication. Worryingly for Allardyce, Sunderland’s defence seemed to be having trouble decoding his passing radar.
Indeed it was all going rather well for Garde until Van Aanholt collected Yann M’Vila’s pass, galloped down the flank and dispatched a low, speculative, 25-yard shot which struck Micah Richards and, deflecting off the defender, trickled past a wrong-footed Brad Guzan.
In a very Gallic gesture of displeasure Garde wrinkled his nose.
Very much against the run of play, this cruellest of deflections arrived at a moment when Sunderland fans had been becoming increasingly edgy. Yet for all Villa’s dominance of possession and the pleasing little individual touches from Bacuna – particularly those to Gestede – lacked the requisite quality. Gradually Grealish also became a cause for concern, fading fast and drifting to the game’s margins just when Villa needed him most.
Allardyce’s manic technical area gum-chewing suggested he was not overly struck with his own side’s performance either. Quite apart from offering minimal attacking threat Sunderland’s inability to keep the ball prompted alarm.
Garde replaced Grealish with Adama Traoré and it was to prove an inspired switch. When Borini lost the ball, Traoré simply hared down Villa’s right, dodged the poorly positioned Van Aanholt and, with Brown also left trailing in his wake, delivered a deep cross in the direction of Carles Gil. That dispatch prompted a simply stunning goal. Showing off sublime skill Gil beat Mannone courtesy of a fabulous volley hooked acrobatically over a shoulder.
Minutes earlier Van Aanholt – much better going forward – had sent a left fot shot whizzing a yard wide but suddenly Sunderland seemed a side with one foot already in the Championship.
The moment had come for the previously peripheral Defoe to issue a reminder of his ability. Bringing down a pass from Adam Johnson adroitly, the former England striker duly obliged, although it should be said he benefited from some generous defending on Joleon Lescott’s part. With Lescott having permitted him to turn and face goal, Defoe expertly squeezed an angled left foot shot beyond Guzan at the near post.
In stoppage time Defoe exacerbated Garde’s woes by connecting with Ola Toivonen’s cross and sweeping the ball, first time, beyond Guzan from 12 yards. He should really have had a hat-trick after pouncing on an awful mistake by the Villa keeper but the resultant ‘goal’ was chalked off for a debatable offside.
Guardian
