Pre-season The club began making plans for pre-season as early as 12 March 2012, when the free transfer of Australian
Brett Holman was announced, with the player officially joining on 1 July after his deal with former club
AZ expired. Later that month, the club announced a pre-season tour of the United States that would see them travelling to
Chicago,
Philadelphia and
Portland. Following the conclusion of the
previous season,
Alex McLeish was sacked as manager on 14 May 2012 as a direct result – after Villa finished
16th in the
league. Villa hired
Paul Lambert as their new manager on 2 June 2012, after the manager had impressed during his three-year spell at
Norwich City. Lambert set about making the job his, by appointing his two trusted allies:
Ian Culverhouse, who became the new Villa Assistant Manager, and Gary Karsa, who was given a new role of "head of football operations" from old club Norwich as they were deemed surplus to requirements by Lambert's replacement,
Chris Hughton. Long-time staff member
Kevin MacDonald, who had been with the club since 1995 in a number of roles, most recently as reserve team manager but former caretaker manager in 2010, left the club on 9 June 2012. On his departure, MacDonald stated, "I've had an incredible 17 years at Aston Villa, one of the biggest clubs in the country, and wish to thank all the staff and players I have worked with during my time at the club. I wish Aston Villa every success in the future." Lambert made his first signing a month into his reign (2 July) at Villa, when he signed Moroccan midfielder
Karim El Ahmadi from
Feyenoord for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £2 million. El Ahmadi stated before his arrival that joining the club, and playing in the
Premier League, would be a "dream come true" and that he was looking forward to "dictating games" for Villa. Four days later (6 July), Lambert made his second summer signing when young defender
Matthew Lowton joined for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £3 million from
Sheffield United Following his move to Villa, Lowton stated that he hoped to emulate former Sheffield United player
Phil Jagielka in reaching the
England squad. The new manager announced on 16 July that the club would be re-signing
Brad Guzan on a three-year deal, after he was previously released in May. Lambert later stated that he had re-signed Guzan so that he could challenge
Shay Given for the number one spot, and Guzan backed this up by declaring he had not returned to sit on the bench. 1 August 2012 saw two transfers at the club – one in, one out – as
James Collins returned to his former club
West Ham United for £2.5 million, to pave the way for Villa to recruit central defender
Ron Vlaar from Feyenoord – the second player of the summer to join Villa from the
Rotterdam club (after El Ahmadi) and the third from the
Eredivisie (after El Ahmadi and Holman). The club again announced the transfer as an undisclosed fee but the media reported the deal to be worth about £3 million. Vlaar immediately declared his ambition to become a Villa great and aimed to become a club legend in central defence, just as
Paul McGrath and
Martin Laursen had done so previously. It was announced that
Darren Bent would become Villa's new club captain whilst
Stiliyan Petrov was absent, recovering from acute leukaemia. Villa's schedule saw them kick off their pre-season at
Burton Albion on 14 July, with the Villans winning 2–1 thanks to an own goal and a debut goal for Brett Holman. The Villa squad then made their way to the US for their tour with matches against
Philadelphia Union,
Chicago Fire and
Portland Timbers. The first two games resulted in 1–0 victories for Villa, with
Nathan Delfouneso and
Gabriel Agbonlahor getting the goals against Philadelphia and Chicago respectively. The final game turned out to be a dramatic 2–2 draw with the Villa goals scored by defenders
Ciaran Clark and new boy
Matthew Lowton, who chalked up his first goal for the Claret and Blues. Ironically, both Villa goals came from set pieces, a feat Villa failed to achieve in the entirety of the last season. The Timbers equalised twice with goals from
Sebastián Rincón and
Rodney Wallace, which sent the game into a penalty shootout (a tradition for pre-season games in the U.S.). Villa eventually ran out winners after a tense 5–4 shootout win. The squad returned to England after staying undefeated in their tour and played their next friendly six days later against
Peterborough United. The club continued their unbeaten pre-season record by recording a 2–0 win, courtesy of goals from youngster Daniel Johnson and a second goal for the club for Brett Holman. Lambert and his new look Villa side eventually suffered defeat in the next match, a 1–3 defeat by
Nottingham Forest.
Barry Bannan's free kick, which levelled the scores at 1–1, was not enough for the Villa after two goals from
Lewis McGugan and a killer third from
Marcus Tudgay sealed victory for the
Championship side. The last fixture in their pre-season schedule saw Villa travel to Germany for a friendly against four-time
Bundesliga champions
Werder Bremen. The match was the final chance for Lambert to test out his new squad and hopefully decide his starting line up for the opening fixture against West Ham a week later. An exhilarating match that brought six goals in a 3–3 draw saw Villa lose the lead twice after initially being 1–0 down and Darren Bent grabbing a brace. Ciaran Clark scored his second goal of pre-season with
Niclas Füllkrug,
Eljero Elia and
Aaron Hunt getting the goals for Bremen. Lambert said after that the brace for Bent would fill him with confidence ahead of the upcoming season.
August The
Premier League fixture list was announced on 18 June 2012 and it gave Villa an away tie against newly promoted
West Ham United to open the new season. There were no meetings between the two clubs
last season as West Ham were consigned to the Championship, but ironically this was the opening fixture for Villa in the
2010–11 season which resulted in a 0–3 victory in Villa's favour, in which
James Milner scored his last goal in his final appearance for the Villans before his move to
Manchester City. The
League Cup second round draw also took place in August with Villa being handed a home tie versus
League One side
Tranmere Rovers to be played on 28 August. Villa's first league game of the new season ended in defeat as they went down 0–1 to West Ham, courtesy of a
Kevin Nolan strike, at
Upton Park. On 24 August, the club were dealt a massive blow when promising young midfielder
Gary Gardner was ruled out for the entire season with an
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. This was his second ACL injury after previously injuring his left knee, in December 2009. The same day,
Jean Makoun completed a long-awaited loan move to French
Ligue 1 club
Rennes. After experiencing supposed work permit issues making him unable to take any part as a player of Aston Villa, Paul Lambert admitted he had never even met the player and that he was not part of his plans. A day later, Villa lost their second league game of the season 1–3 to
Everton. Goals from
Steven Pienaar,
Marouane Fellaini and
Nikica Jelavić gave the Toffees a 0–3 half-time lead, before
Ciaran Clark was sent off for Villa after fouling Jelavić, who at the time was the last man.
Karim El Ahmadi scored from 30 yards, his first for Villa, but ultimately it was just a consolation. Villa and Lambert's first win of the new season came in the
League Cup against
Tranmere Rovers. Goals from
Fabian Delph,
Chris Herd and a first competitive goal since February 2012 for
Darren Bent sealed a 3–0 victory for the Villans. The following day, Villa signed
England under-21 left back
Joe Bennett from
Middlesbrough on a four-year deal, for a fee rumoured to be between £2.5 and 4 million. Upon his arrival, Bennett stated, "I am really excited to have joined a massive club in Aston Villa and I'm eager to fight for a starting place and get in the team." On 30 August, Villa drew Manchester City in the
third round of the
League Cup. The match took place on 25 September at the
Etihad Stadium. A busy summer transfer deadline day 2012, saw Villa sign three new players:
midfielder Ashley Westwood signed from
Crewe Alexandra on a four-year deal, and
strikers Christian Benteke from
K.R.C Genk and
Jordan Bowery from
Chesterfield. Bowery signed a three-year deal and cost the club a rumored £500,000 with the fee rising to £1 million with add ons. Benteke signed a four-year deal for a fee believed to be £7 million, making him the most expensive transfer of the window for Villa . Earlier in the day, a £7 million bid was also accepted by
Fulham for American forward
Clint Dempsey, but the player ultimately rejected the deal as he favoured a move to
Liverpool. The move to Liverpool later fell through and the player eventually joined
Tottenham Hotspur. One player also departed the club, as
Nathan Delfouneso joined
Blackpool on a season-long loan.
September Villa earned their first point of the season in the next game, after drawing 1–1 with
Newcastle United at the
Sports Direct Arena.
Ciaran Clark's first half goal was cancelled out by a wonder strike from
Hatem Ben Arfa and Villa's performance was reported to be much improved after the
Everton game. The draw also lifted Villa off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone, at this early stage. The club's first league win of the season and first in 13 league matches came two weeks later, after the international break, as they beat
Swansea City 2–0 at
Villa Park – a reverse score of the fixture last season. A first competitive goal for the club for
Matthew Lowton, a swerving volley, and a goal on his debut for substitute
Christian Benteke wrapped up the points for Villa.
Ron Vlaar was named captain for the match, replacing
Darren Bent, who had captained the side in the previous matches. On 21 September,
Stephen Warnock joined
Bolton Wanderers on a three-month loan. The left back had not made a competitive appearance beforehand after falling out of favour with the new manager. The following day (22 September), Villa suffered a shock defeat at the hands of newly promoted and bottom of the table
Southampton, going down 1–4 at
St Mary's. Villa took the lead through Darren Bent's first league goal of the season in the first half. However, goals from
Nathaniel Clyne, a Ciaran Clark own goal and a brace, including a penalty, for
Rickie Lambert saw the South Coast club emphatically earn their first points of the season. Ron Vlaar was again named Villa captain, leading it to be believed that he had replaced Darren Bent as team captain. Villa didn't let this result affect their next performance however, as they recorded a shock 2–4 victory against
champions Manchester City in the
League Cup on 25 September. Villa twice came back after being behind, first being 1–0 down and then 2–1 down.
Mario Balotelli gave City a half time lead but a
Gareth Barry own goal against his former club put Villa level.
Aleksandar Kolarov scored a trademark
free kick, before
Gabriel Agbonlahor scored his first goal of the season to send the tie into
extra time.
Charles N'Zogbia netted Villa's third after Agbonlahor's shot was parried by
Costel Pantilimon before Agbonlahor grabbed his second and Villa's fourth, courtesy of a deflection, sending them through to the next round. Villa's reward for defeating City was a potentially tricky away tie to
League One side
Swindon Town, managed by former
West Ham striker
Paolo Di Canio, to be played on 30 October. Villa's final game of the month was a highly anticipated
West Midlands derby against early high flyers
West Bromwich Albion, which ended 1–1. Each team wanted to show the other that they were the top team in the West Midlands, and Villa went about setting the Baggies straight with a dominant first half performance. However, it was West Brom who took the lead early in the second half, as
James Morrison beat an attempted offside trap and crossed a low ball towards
Shane Long, before Villa captain Ron Vlaar's attempted clearance hit Long's foot and rolled past
Brad Guzan. Villa equalised through substitute Darren Bent in the 80th minute, after he coolly put in the rebound following a goal mouth scramble from a corner. The draw saw Villa register their worst ever start to a
Premier League season, with only five points from six games.
October The team began the month with a trip to
north London to play
Tottenham Hotspur at
White Hart Lane. The match finished 2–0 to Spurs, with goals from
Steven Caulker and
Aaron Lennon condemning Villa to their fourth loss and continued their poor start to the season. After a two-week international break, Villa returned to league action on 20 October against
Fulham at
Craven Cottage. Villa continued their worst start to a season in 26 years by losing their fifth game, as a late
Chris Baird goal gave Fulham a 1–0 win. This loss left Villa one place and one point above the relegation zone. On 23 October, promising youngster
Daniel Johnson joined
League One outfit
Yeovil Town on a month's loan. The next match saw Lambert face his old club
Norwich City for the first time since leaving them to join Villa in the summer. The match ended 1–1 after
Christian Benteke gave Villa the lead, but Norwich replied through
Michael Turner, ten minutes from time.
Joe Bennett was sent off for Villa after receiving two yellow cards, with Villa leading 1–0. This result meant that Villa did not win a league match in October and had still won only one so far this season. However, Villa continued to excel in the
League Cup as they knocked out
Swindon Town, to advance. The match finished 3–2 to Villa but it took a 90th-minute winner from Christian Benteke to see Villa book their place in the quarter-finals. Villa had led 2–0, after goals from Benteke and
Gabriel Agbonlahor, and looked to be easing to a win before Swindon managed to level the score with two quickfire goals from 18-year-old substitute
Miles Storey. However, Benteke's late winner sent Villa through and made sure of their only win in October. The draw for the
quarter-finals was made the following day, with Villa getting an away tie at Paul Lambert's former club Norwich to be played on 11 December.
November The month started with a victory for Villa as they ran out 1–0 winners against
Sunderland, managed by former manager
Martin O'Neill, at the
Stadium of Light.
Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the only goal of the game, his first in the league for 12 months, as Villa recorded their first away win since January. Villa hosted
Manchester United in the next game, and roared into an unexpected 2–0 lead thanks to two goals from
Andreas Weimann, his first goals of the season. However, two goals from substitute
Javier Hernández and an
own goal from
Ron Vlaar gave United a 2–3 victory at
Villa Park. The spirited performance the players showed in the last game (despite the loss) was soon forgotten as Villa were taught a lesson in their next match against the
champions Manchester City at the
Etihad Stadium. City thrashed Villa 5–0 with braces each for
Sergio Agüero and
Carlos Tevez, which included a highly controversial
penalty and a goal from
David Silva. The result meant they dropped down into the relegation places. On 22 November,
Alan Hutton joined
Nottingham Forest on an emergency loan until 1 January. The right-back had not made a single appearance this season and had been banished from first team training, having been made to train with the reserve squad all season. The club ended a trio of matches against former
Premier League champions with a home tie against
Arsenal. The match was a stalemate finishing 0–0, with Villa earning a valuable point to go a point ahead of fellow strugglers
Reading, before their vital relegation scrap three days later (27 November). The month finished the way it started for Villa as they grabbed a much needed win, as well as a clean sheet, against Reading. The match ended 1–0 courtesy of a late
Christian Benteke header. This result, coupled with
Southampton's draw with Norwich, meant Villa entered December outside of the relegation places.
December December started with an away match against a winless
Queens Park Rangers team, rooted to the bottom of the table.
Brett Holman gave Villa the lead within the first ten minutes with his first goal for the club.
Jamie Mackie equalised for Rangers ten minutes later and the score stayed that way until the end, finishing 1–1. The draw for the
third round of the
FA Cup was made the next day (2 December), with Villa getting a home tie against
Championship side
Ipswich Town. The match was to be played on 5 January 2013. Another draw followed the QPR game, as Villa drew 0–0 versus clean sheet specialists
Stoke City at
Villa Park.
Darren Bent made his return for Villa, coming on as a substitute, having not played since 30 October. Villa's next match came in the form of a
League Cup quarter-final against
Paul Lambert's former club
Norwich City. Much was made of Lambert's first return to
Carrow Road, made even more intense by the reported lawsuits being filed between both parties. The Villa team made it a very happy return for Lambert, running out 1–4 winners against the Canaries.
Andreas Weimann grabbed his second brace of the season and goals from Brett Holman and
Christian Benteke booked Villa's place in the
semi-finals for the second time in four seasons. This result filled the young Villa team with massive confidence going into their next game against
Liverpool at
Anfield, where they gained only their second away win of the season with a 1–3 success. A brace from Christian Benteke and a third from Andreas Weimann meant Villa had led 0–3 before
Steven Gerrard scored a late consolation for the Reds. The result extended Villa's unbeaten run to six games in all competitions and lifted them up to 14th in the Premier League, their highest position since 22 September. The draw for the
semi-finals of the
League cup was made on 19 December, eight days after Villa had booked their place, following the
Leeds United/
Chelsea quarter-final. Villa will play
Bradford City over two legs, the first being played away at
Valley Parade on 8 January 2013, with the second at
Villa Park on 22 January 2013. Villa's unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt in the last game before Christmas as the team went down 8–0 to
Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge, their heaviest ever defeat in the Premier League. Villa's Christmas misery continued into the next game after they were beaten 0–4 by
Tottenham Hotspur. The first goal was scored by
Jermain Defoe, before
Gareth Bale got his first Premier League hat-trick to seal a convincing win for Spurs. Villa's festive period nightmare continued further as they lost their third game in a row against fellow strugglers
Wigan Athletic, 0–3. An early goal from defender
Iván Ramis and second half goals from
Emerson Boyce and
Arouna Koné sent Wigan above Villa in the table. Villa finished the 2012 calendar year in 17th place, only one point off the relegation places but with a much inferior goal difference than their rivals after conceding 15 goals in the three festive period games.
January Villa began 2013 with a 2–2 draw against
Swansea City at the
Liberty Stadium.
Wayne Routledge gave the Swans an early lead, before an
Andreas Weimann strike on the stroke of half-time brought Villa level. Villa looked to have snatched a vital win, when they earned an 84th-minute penalty (their first in almost a year) which was converted by
Christian Benteke. However, a stoppage time equalizer from
Danny Graham made sure the points were shared. The club gained their first win of the new year, as they beat
Ipswich Town 2–1 in the
FA Cup on 5 January. Villa had to come from behind however, as
Michael Chopra's deflected shot gave Ipswich a half time lead.
Darren Bent equalized immediately after the break with a goal against his former club and Andreas Weimann booked Villa's place in the fourth round with an 83rd-minute winner. Villa were then drawn to face
Millwall at
The Den in the
fourth round of the
FA Cup to be played on 25 January. The first leg of the
League Cup semi-final against
Bradford City was next for Villa three days later. The match did not go the way Villa would have thought, wanted or hoped for though as they lost 1–3 to the Bantams at
Valley Parade. Bradford took the lead early in the first half as
Nahki Wells beat the offside trap to finish neatly past
Shay Given after a deflected shot.
Matt Duke made a series of inspired saves throughout both halves keeping Villa at bay, before
Rory McArdle put Bradford 2–0 up in the 77th minute. Villa pulled a goal back five minutes later through Andreas Weimann, but Bradford regained their two-goal advantage when
Carl McHugh fired a header past Given to give Bradford a shock victory and leave Villa with all the work to do in the second leg to reach the final. Villa's
League Cup hangover continued as they were beaten 0–1 by fellow strugglers
Southampton in a must win six-pointer.
Rickie Lambert converted a highly controversial penalty won by
Jay Rodriguez, who looked to have gone done with no contact under the challenge of
Enda Stevens. This result meant Southampton leapfrogged Villa, who dropped back into the relegation places for the first time since November. The team then competed in a local derby against
West Bromwich Albion, where they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2–2.
Christian Benteke and
Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Villa a half time lead but
Chris Brunt pulled a goal back immediately after the break for the Baggies. They continued to attack, controlling the game, and eventually
Peter Odemwingie equalized meaning the points were shared. Villa's misery then continued, as the team was knocked out of the
League Cup by
fourth-tier Bradford City. After losing 1–3 in the first leg, Villa had to win by two clear goals to take the tie to extra-time. However, they could only manage a 2–1 victory (3–4 on aggregate) and exited the competition as a result. Yet more gloom and doom followed as the team were knocked out of a second cup in four days. after losing 1–2 against
Millwall in the
FA Cup.
Darren Bent gave Villa the lead but
Danny Shittu equalized five minutes later for the hosts, with Villa conceding from yet another corner. Just as a replay looked on the cards,
John Marquis grabbed the winner for the
Championship outfit, to send them through and pile even more pressure onto the extremely fragile Villa team and manager
Paul Lambert. Villa's awful January was compounded in their last game of the month, against
Newcastle United. Newcastle raced into a 2–0 half time lead after goals from
Papiss Cissé and
Yohan Cabaye but
Christian Benteke pulled a goal back for Villa early in the second half from the penalty spot. However, it was not enough as the Toon held on for the win, despite a major Villa fightback. This result was Villa's fourth home defeat in a row. Deadline day saw Villa make their only transfers of the January transfer window, as they signed defensive midfielder
Yacouba Sylla from
Ligue 2 side
Clermont Foot as well as
Simon Dawkins on loan from
Tottenham Hotspur. Both players continued Paul Lambert's system of buying inexperienced, cheap players as opposed to the experienced players Villa desperately required. Lambert later stated that he just did not have the money to buy big names, pay high wages and compete with their rivals, with some sources stating the kitty to be as low as£3 million.
Stephen Warnock left Villa to join
Leeds United, having not made an appearance all season, after three years at the club.
Alan Hutton had also left, as he joined Spanish side
Mallorca on 29 January on loan until the end of the season.
February February started with a mixed result for Villa as they drew 3–3 with high-flying
Everton. On one hand, Villa picked up a vital and unexpected point however they had led 3–1 at one point, after goals from
Christian Benteke (2) and
Gabriel Agbonlahor. They then conceded another goal and a stoppage time equaliser as
Marouane Fellaini made sure the points were shared. This result kept Villa second from bottom in the
Premier League. Villa finally ended their eight-game winless run, as well as four home defeats in a row with a 2–1 victory over
West Ham United at
Villa Park. A lackluster first half saw few chances for either side, with the only one of note seeing
Andreas Weimann shoot wide from six yards after
Jussi Jääskeläinen had spilled a Christian Benteke shot. Benteke then scored a penalty to give Villa a 74th-minute lead, before
Charles N'Zogbia, who had himself won the penalty, scored a sublime
free kick four minutes later. An
Ashley Westwood own goal made for a nervy last few minutes but Villa held on for a precious three points, to move out of the relegation zone. Despite the brilliant win against West Ham, Villa lost their last game of the month against
Arsenal 2–1 after a late winner from
Santi Cazorla, leaving them in 18th place at the end of February.
March Villa started March as they had ended February with defeat by one of the higher ranking sides, losing 0–1 to
Manchester City at
Villa Park. A
Ciaran Clark slip in his own half eventually led to
Carlos Tevez grabbing the winner for City. However, Villa then won back to back matches in the Premier League for the first time since May 2011, after beating two major relegation rivals in
Reading and
Queens Park Rangers. The Reading game marked the first time in the season that Villa had come from behind to win, eventually winning 1–2. They then managed to achieve this feat again when they defeated QPR who had led 0–1. The match eventually finished 3–2 to Villa, temporarily putting a six-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. The next match, however, saw Villa's mini revival come to an end as they were defeated 1–2 by
Liverpool at Villa Park, seeing them again slip into the relegation zone on goal difference.
April Villa started April perfectly, with a 1–3 away victory over
Stoke City at the
Britannia Stadium.
Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Villa an early lead that lasted until the 80th minute when
Michael Kightly equalised for Stoke. However, a spectacular volley from
Matthew Lowton put Villa back in front with less than five minutes to go. From 30 yards out, Lowton chested down a clearance from a corner and sweetly struck the ball past goalkeeper
Asmir Begović.
Christian Benteke then skipped through the Stoke defence and slid the ball into the back of the net to wrap up the points for Villa, as well as the third win in their last four games. Villa drew 1–1 in their next game against
Fulham, with
Charles N'Zogbia giving Villa the lead but a
Fabian Delph own goal meant the points were shared. Villa then faced
Manchester United, with United being crowned champions if they won. They did so, 3–0, after
Robin van Persie scored a
hat-trick within the first 33 minutes of the game. Villa's final game of the month saw them thrash
Sunderland 6–1 at Villa Park, giving them their best result of the season and of
Paul Lambert's reign. The result was also Villa's biggest home win in 17 years and the first time they had scored six in a match since the
2007–08 season.
Christian Benteke scored his first hat-trick for Villa, becoming the first player to do so in five years, which meant he both exceeded
Dwight Yorke's record of 17
Premier League goals in a season and became the first Villa player to reach 20 goals in a season in nine years.
Gabriel Agbonlahor also scored, making him Villa's highest Premier League goalscorer with 61 goals. Captain
Ron Vlaar, with his first goal for the club, and
Andreas Weimann wrapped up a memorable night for Villa as they went five points clear of the drop zone and above
Newcastle United on goal difference, after an 11-goal swing.
May The first game of the month saw Villa continue their good form by beating
Norwich City 1–2 at
Carrow Road to send them up to 13th in the table as well as to the 40-point mark.
Gabriel Agbonlahor scored both of Villa's goals, including the 89th-minute winner, either side of a
Grant Holt penalty. On 9 May, club captain
Stiliyan Petrov announced his retirement from football after battling acute leukaemia for over a year. Villa added Petrov to the club's hall of fame, an honour only 12 other players have received. Villa lost their last home game of the season 1–2 against
Chelsea. Both teams had a man sent off,
Ramires for Chelsea and Villa's goalscorer
Christian Benteke.
Frank Lampard became Chelsea all-time top scorer as he scored both of their goals. Villa's final game of the season came against
Wigan Athletic. Wigan had been relegated mid-week after defeat by
Arsenal which confirmed Villa's safety. The match itself finished 2–2, with Villa's goals coming from
Darren Bent and
Ron Vlaar in either half. Villa finished the season in 15th place, five points clear of relegation.
Key events •
12 March 2012: Australian
Brett Holman agrees to join Villa on a free transfer, when his contract expires with
AZ. •
19 May: Villa end the season with a 2–2 away draw against
Wigan Athletic at the
DW Stadium. The result means Villa finish in 15th place in the
Premier League. ==Players==