Christian Benteke scored a hat-trick to rescue a 3-3 draw for Aston Villa in a pulsating relegation battle against Queens Park Rangers this evening.
Matty Phillips opened the scoring for the visitors after just seven minutes, but a quick response from Benteke and a second shortly after the half-hour mark saw Villa go into the break ahead.
Clint Hill levelled things up again 10 minutes into the second half before Charlie Austin put QPR back into the lead, but Benteke's third seven minutes from time ensured that the spoils would be shared.
Find out how all of the action unfolded in an enthralling encounter courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's huge relegation six-pointer between Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers at Villa Park. This game, brought forward due to Villa's continued involvement in the FA Cup, could have a major say on the battle to avoid the drop and pits the league's worst attack and home record against the league's worst defence and away record, so we should be in for an intriguing encounter! Let's start with a look at the hosts...
With just seven matches of the season, Aston Villa come into this game in a position of safety, but things are still very perilous for Tim Sherwood's side. They are only two points clear of the relegation zone and would end the night in the bottom three should they lose here. On the other hand, victory would put a six-point gap between these two teams and lift Villa up to 15th, so there is plenty riding on this one.
It was a damaging Easter weekend for the Villans, with most of the teams around them in the table picking up points. Two of the bottom three won, while Burnley held Tottenham to a decent draw at Turf Moor. Sunderland's victory in the derby over Newcastle on Sunday saw Villa drop down to 17th, and to avoid it being a very costly four-day spell they really need to get something from this game.
Momentum can so often prove to be the difference when it comes to a relegation battle, and Villa looked to have that on their side in the early stages of the Tim Sherwood era. A run of three consecutive victories, including two against local rivals West Brom, saw optimism grow at Villa Park, but back-to-back defeats have quickly quelled that hope. Should those around them in the table manage to build on their own positive results this weekend, Villa could find themselves in trouble over the coming weeks.
They have a difficult run-in too, with Sherwood's return to Spurs next up after tonight and matches against the likes of Manchester City, Everton, West Ham United and Southampton still to come this season. They won't be expecting to pick up too many points from those games, which makes matches like tonight's - in addition to their season finale against Burnley - all the more important.
They may need to pick up some additional unexpected points along the way, and will certainly have to improve on a recent record of nine defeats from their last 11 league games. They have only won two of their last 16, losing 11 of those, and are still 12 points adrift of the traditional 40-point mark for safety. Sherwood has dubbed this match the biggest game of Villa's season and his own managerial career, and another defeat may well prove to be their most damaging one yet.
It is goals that have been their major issue this season. Villa have found the back of the net a paltry 20 times in their 31 outings this season, which is simply not good enough if you want to stay in the division. There are fewer problems at the other end, with no team in the bottom half having conceded fewer, but Villa have only scored more than one goal in a game on four occasions all season. They have only scored seven in their last 20 league games against London opposition, and never more than once in any of those matches.
Just 11 of their 20 goals this season have come in front of their own fans, which is unsurprisingly the lowest home total in the Premier League. Indeed, their record at Villa Park in general is very worrying, with their haul of 14 points being the worst in the top flight. They have only won three league games at home all season, losing four of their last five and only winning one of the last eight. They have, however, won three of their last five at home in all competitions, so may need to channel some FA Cup spirit today.
If there is one team Villa will be confident of beating at home then it is QPR, who have the worst away record in the top four tiers of English football this season. They have managed just two victories on the road all term, and both of those have come in their last four games. Aside from those couple of triumphs, they have lost their other 14 away games in all competitions this season, leaving them with just six points on their travels.
However, there do seem to be green shoots of recovery emerging, with QPR putting in their best away display of the season just four days ago on another trip to the Midlands. The Hoops were 3-0 up at half time against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns and went on to beat Tony Pulis's side 4-1. That will give them plenty of confidence going into tonight's match and, should they pick up another positive result, that all-important momentum will be with Chris Ramsey's side.
Backing up victories has been a big ask for QPR this season, though. They have not won consecutive matches so far this term, and victory tonight would also see them win back-to-back away games in the Premier League for the first time since September 1995. Ramsey knows the level his team can perform at from the drubbing of West Brom, though, and he will be demanding a repeat of that tonight.
Unlike for Villa, scoring goals has not been the issue for QPR this season. They have 35 from their 31 matches, making them the highest scorers in the bottom eight of the table, but the reason they are struggling at the wrong end is because of events at the other end of the pitch. They have conceded a league-high 55 goals this term - a large reason why they have also lost more games than any other team in the top flight this season (20).
They rarely looked like letting West Brom into the match on Saturday, but Chris Ramsey will know full well that such an impressive result will be meaningless if they don't use it as a catalyst to spur them on. The win ended a five-game losing streak, while they have lost nine of their last 11 in the league and 10 of their last 12 in all competitions. They have only managed two wins in their last 15 games, losing 11 of those.
It is their away form that may end up saving them this season, despite it being the cause of such trouble so far. Their two victories in the 14 games since Christmas Day have both come away from home, with their form at Loftus Road taking a sharp decline over the past few months. They still have to visit Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as having a final-day showdown with fellow strugglers Leicester at the King Power.
Like Villa, QPR have been dealt a tricky run-in over the closing stages of the campaign. In addition to those matches against Manchester City and Liverpool - last season's top two - they have to face leaders Chelsea and West Ham in the last six games of the season, so may be hoping to simply be in with a chance of survival going into their final-day meeting with Leicester.
TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news as far as the hosts are concerned if that Ron Vlaar returns from injury to captain the side. He replaces Jores Okore in one of five changes for the injury-hit hosts. QPR, meanwhile, have made two changes to their side, with the injured duo of Vargas and Yoon dropping out. Full teams for both sides coming right up...
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Guzan; Bacuna, Vlaar, Clark, Richardson; Cleverley, Delph, Sanchez, Grealish; Agbonlahor, Benteke
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Given, Baker, Okore, Weimann, Cole, N'Zogbia, Lowton
QPR STARTING XI: Green; Isla, Onouha, Caulker, Hill; Phillips, Sandro, Barton, Kranjcar; Austin, Zamora
QPR SUBS: McCarthy, Traore, Henry, Hoilett, Mitchell, Doughty, Grego-Cox
What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, Sherwood has rung the changes for Villa, although his hand had been forced by injuries to an extent. Hutton has added to the long list of absentees with an ankle injury picked up against Manchester United, so Bacuna comes in for him. There is good news alongside him, though, as Vlaar returns to captain the side having been left on the bench at Old Trafford, while Richardson has overcome a calf problem to start.
It is at the other end of the field that Villa's main problems have come this season, but Christian Benteke's strike against Manchester United made it four in his last four club games in all competitions. If Sherwood can get the big Belgian firing towards the end of the season then it would be a huge boost to their survival hopes. He can be incredibly difficult to play against on his day, and he appears to be returning to form at the perfect time for the Villans.
Benteke had managed just three goals in his first 21 appearances of the season, so that recent return of four in four is certainly a major improvement. Villa need others to share the goalscoring burden, however, and Agbonlahor is among those who could do with increasing their output in the final third. He starts again alongside Benteke tonight, although there is no place for Andreas Weimann, who drops to the bench.
As for QPR, they have relied heavily on Charlie Austin in front of goal so far this season, with the striker directly involved in 20 of their 35 league goals. He has scored 16 himself - including two in the reverse fixture - and assisted four more during what has been a superb individual campaign. Should QPR end up beating the drop, they will have Austin to thank more than anybody.
Others have been stepping up to the plate recently, however, with Matt Phillips having provided five assists since the turn of the year so far. No player in the entire division has managed more in the same time period, with Arsenal's Santi Cazorla the only player able to match Phillips's tally.
The attacking trio of Vargas, Austin and Zamora were all on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory over West Brom and, while Vargas has since been ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage, if Ramsey can keep his attackers firing then it will do the R's the world of good in their bid for survival. Zamora's goal was particularly special in that match, and all of his last seven Premier League goals have come away from home.
Barton was the fourth name to score in that match, and he continues in midfield today, where he is joined by Kranjcar due to the injury to Vargas. Clint Hill coming in at left-back is the only other change from Ramsey, with Yoon ruled out due to concussion. Isla, Caulker and Onuoha retain their places in front of Green.
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Villa Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! This really is a tough one to call today, with Villa's home form and attacking record the worst in the league and QPR's away form and defensive record the worst too. Something will have to give, and it really could go either way tonight. I'm going to call it down the middle and go for 1-1, though, with the match potentially being more of a must-not-lose encounter than a must-win one.
Having said that, three points would do wonders for either side, and the results at the weekend raise another question mark over this one. Villa have the edge in terms of history in the Premier League, particularly in front of their own fans. They have won all five of the previous Premier League meetings here, scoring 15 goals in the process.
It was QPR who came out on top in the reverse fixture, however, with Charlie Austin scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory at Loftus Road in October. That was just the Hoops' second win of the season and should they win tonight as well then they would complete the league double over Villa for the first time since the 1986-87 season. They haven't won a league game at Villa Park since 1992, but have scored in each of the last 12 Premier League meetings.
There will be no ill-feeling in the opposing dugouts tonight, with Tim Sherwood and Chris Ramsey knowing each other well from their time together at Tottenham. Ramsey was Sherwood's assistant at White Hart Lane last season and the pair were full of praise for each other in the build-up to this match. Sherwood even spoke of his desire to recruit Ramsey at some point in the future, although the QPR interim boss has made no secret of wanting to gain the job on a full-time basis.
The last meeting between these two sides here was full of goals, with Villa edging past QPR 3-2 in March 2013. Agbonlahor, Benteke and Weimann were all on the scoresheet for the hosts that day, while Jermaine Jenas and Andros Townsend responded for QPR. A repeat of that entertainment will be welcome today, and I'm sure Sherwood would take the same scoreline as well!
KICKOFF: QPR get us underway for this huge relegation six-pointer at Villa Park. Can one of these sides give their survival host a huge boost here?
An early sight of goal for the hosts as Delph floats a free kick into the box. Hill can only flick it on and it drops for Benteke, but he wildly slices his volley well off target.
It is Villa who have seen most of the ball in these opening exchanges, looking to get it forward from the back quickly. No luck so far, but the match has started at a decent tempo.
Lovely football from Villa as Grealish flicks the ball on for Cleverley, who has burst forward from midfield. He feeds the ball through to Benteke inside the box, but the Belgian is thwarted by a fine Green stop. The flag was up anyway so it wouldn't have counted, but Green wasn't to know that.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 QPR (Matty Phillips)
First blood goes to QPR! Austin swings a good ball into the box that Bacuna fails to thump clear, allowing the visitors to keep it alive. Zamora picks the ball up with his back to goal and does well to work space for a cross, clipping his delivery into the middle. It is too high for an offside Barton, but Phillips arrives behind him to nod a stooping header home.
Villa look for an immediate response and almost find it as Agbonlahor attacks a cross at the near post, but the defender just about does enough.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-1 QPR (Christian Benteke)
Villa have their quick equaliser! Benteke is played through down the left and is allowed to cut inside far too easily by Isla. There is an element of luck about the finish as it deflects past a helpless Green and into the corner, but Villa and Sherwood don't care one bit. What a start to this match!
That has really got the home fans up for this one. Villa have been the better side so far and have responded very well to that early setback of going behind. They are on top right now and Delph wins a free kick in a good position for a cross...
SAVE! Grealish instead chooses to go for goal despite it being a long way out and quite far over to the left. His effort is a good one, but Green is across in plenty of time to make the save.
Both teams are looking dangerous when they come forward at the moment, but they are being helped out by some nervy defending at both ends of the field.
CHANCE! Routine stop for Guzan at one end as Kranjcar works space to shoot before firing a tame effort at goal with his weaker foot. Villa quickly break and Benteke feeds a low pass in from the left. Barton slides in but can't quite cut it out, and the QPR skipper is indebted to Green for thwarting Grealish from close range. The youngster only had the keeper to beat there, but Green made a fine one-on-one save.
You can't take your eyes off this game at the moment. It is being played at a really good pace, with both sides knowing exactly how important a victory could be tonight. There are more goals in this one for sure.
Villa come forward again as Bacuna leads the charge down the right. He cuts inside before letting fly on his left foot, but he slices it high and wide of the target.
Austin is a little fortunate to get away without further punishment here as he handles the ball on purpose on the sideline. It was a bit of a nothing act and common sense prevails as Craig Pawson refuses to brandish a card, but it was risky from the QPR striker.
SHOT! Really good work from Agbonlahor as he battles away with Onuoha, preventing him from shepherding the ball out. He squeezes a pass out to Benteke and the ball eventually falls to Delph, whose deflected effort goes behind for a corner.
Superb block from Sandro to deny Vlaar! The resulting corner wasn't dealt with by the visitors and the ball drops to the Villa skipper, who lashes a fierce volley towards goal from inside the box. Sandro throws himself in the way of it, though, and Green completes the clearance over the crossbar.
PENALTY SHOUT! The hosts want a penalty as Benteke flicks the ball to Agbonlahor, who carries the ball into the area. Hill eventually comes across to put the ball behind for a corner, but Kranjcar was dangerously close to clipping the heels of the Villa man.
Benteke has caused problems up front for the hosts so far. He has threatened almost every time he has got the ball, either going for goal himself or setting up a chance for a teammate.
CHANCE! There is Benteke again as he sends a header narrowly off target. Bacuna does really well down the right, beating his man before sending a brilliant cross towards the back post. Benteke attacks it, but Isla does just about enough to make it difficult for the striker.
QPR have faded out of this game in an attacking sense in the last 10 minutes or so, with Villa very much on top in that regard right now. QPR are looking vulnerable at the back, and Villa will be keen to capitalise on this spell in the ascendency.
It has been better from the visitors in the last few minutes, though, and they are seeing a bit more of the ball in decent areas now. This one is very finely poised with just under an hour left.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 QPR (Christian Benteke)
Villa and Benteke have their second of the night to take the lead! It is another quick break from the hosts as Sanchez wins a tackle on the edge of his own box, while Agbonlahor helps it on. Benteke is clean through on goal and carries the ball half of the length of the field, keeping his composure before finding the bottom corner. He took his time with that one, but it is now six goals in his last five club games.
YELLOW CARD! Kranjcar goes into the book for a poor challenge on Cleverley, diving in on the Manchester United loanee. Caulker, meanwhile, was also booked in the immediate aftermath of the goal.
Everything has gone through Benteke for Villa in this first half. The QPR defence simply can't deal with him at the moment and he could go on to get a hat-trick if they don't find an answer sooner rather than later.
QPR threaten from a corner as Caulker rises highest in the box to knock the ball down into a dangerous area. It just bounces away from Kranjcar, however, and the midfielder can't keep the ball alive.
CLOSE! Very nearly a third for Villa! Bacuna again threatens down the right as he picks the ball up in space and is given the yard he needs to pick his cross out. Agbonlahor rises into the box and loops one towards the far corner, but it drops just off target. Green was worried about that one, and it was not far away at all.
Villa are playing with a real swagger at the moment. They know they are in control of this match, with QPR really struggling to deal with the likes of Benteke and Bacuna, the latter of whom is being given far too much room by Hill.
A little better from QPR in the last couple of minutes as they look to get back on level terms before the break. They haven't been able to get Austin involved in threatening positions enough yet, though.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of what has been an action-packed first half at Villa Park.
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
The first half comes to an end, and what an entertaining 45 minutes it was between these two relegation rivals. Aston Villa take a deserved lead into the break, coming from behind to lead QPR 2-1 courtesy of a Benteke brace. Both sides have looked dangerous and capable of adding more goals, but there is no doubt that Villa have been the better side so far.
The opening goal came after just seven minutes when Zamora's cross was nodded in by Matty Phillips from close range. Zamora had done well to keep the ball alive with his back to goal on the edge of the box before clipping his cross in towards Barton. It was too high for the offside skipper, but Phillips arrived behind him to nod home.
They were ahead for less than three minutes, however, with Benteke restoring parity in the 10th minute. He latched on to a pass down the left before cutting inside and beating Isla far too easily. That opened up space for him to shoot, and his effort deflected off Caulker and past the helpless hand of Green.
It was another breakaway that provided Villa's second goal, and once more it was a good solo finish from Benteke. Sanchez and Agbonlahor combined to send the striker clean through on goal, and he took his time to fire into the bottom corner. Hill was able to get back, but could do nothing to stop the Belgian striker from doubling his personal tally for the evening.
Villa have had a string of other chances too, with Green being called into action to deny Grealish from close range and Agbonlahor sending a looping header narrowly wide of the far post. Benteke has come close with a header of his own too, while QPR have struggled to create much of note with the exception of their goal. Ramsey needs to see an improvement from his side in the coming 45 minutes.
Benteke has been a really handful throughout for Villa, dominating the QPR defence and bringing teammates into play whenever possible. He has been the major difference so far and, if the visitors can't find an answer for him, then a hat-trick could well be in the offing. Bacuna has also been a threat down the right wing, with Hill affording him too much space.
KICKOFF: Villa get us back underway for the second half as they look to finish the job here. As things stand, they will be moving up to 15th in the table, five points clear of the bottom three.
Bright start to the second half for Villa, who are looking to get right back on the front foot here. There are more goals in this one for them, and Sherwood knows that.
It looks like we could have a change early into the second half for the visitors, with Karl Henry - formerly of Wolves of course - and Armand Traore getting ready on the sidelines.
QPR SUBS: Indeed, there are the changes as Armand Traore and Karl Henry replace Isla and Kranjcar, which could see the visitors switch to three at the back.
SAVE! Confident play from Grealish as he picks the ball up in midfield and strides forward away from three blue and white shirts. He drills a low effort towards goal, but it is comfortable for Green, who collects it at the second attempt.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-2 QPR (Clint Hill)
QPR have their equaliser! It comes from a set piece as Hill attacks it well before guiding his header into the corner and past the despairing dive of Guzan. What a time to get your first ever Premier League goal!
YELLOW CARD! Austin goes into the book for a crunching challenge on Sanchez. That was high and his studs are showing, and Pawson may have even thought of producing a different colour card there.
How big could that equalising goal be in the seasons of both of these sides? QPR have been second best for the majority of this match, but they find themselves level with just over half an hour remaining here. This one could still go either way, and you get the feeling that we haven't seen the last of the goals just yet.
Good play from Delph as he strides forward from midfield before sliding a pass through to Benteke down the left channel. This time he isn't allowed to cut back inside onto his right foot, forcing him to knock it back to Grealish, whose shot is blocked.
Bacuna has had much less of an impact in this second half. QPR are not allowing him as much room, and Ramsey's change in formation towards the start of this period seems to have worked. They look a lot more balanced right now.
SAVE! Austin has been quiet so far, but he only needs one chance to threaten. This time it comes from a Zamora knockdown as he heads the ball back to his strike partner, whose first-time effort is comfortably kept out by the keeper.
Villa are still just about in control of this game in terms of possession, but QPR are looking better defensively now and the hosts are finding it more difficult to play through them. We are in for a fascinating final 25 minutes or so.
These two sides are wrestling for the upper hand at the moment. Both have enjoyed some decent spells of possession in the last few minutes as they continue to probe for a way through.
QPR SUB: A third and final change for the visitors as Michael Doughty comes on in place of Sandro for the final 20 minutes.
ASTON VILLA SUB: The hosts also make a change as Joe Cole comes on to replace Grealish.
SHOT! A waste from Austin as he picks the ball up in a good position, only to snatch at his effort and drag it a long way wide. He tried to take the effort early but got it all wrong.
It will be interesting to see how both of these teams approach this final 15 minutes. A draw would probably be a better result for Villa, but victory would do so much for either side. However, defeat would be very damaging too.
ASTON VILLA SUB: The hosts make a second change as Matthew Lowton replaces Bacuna, who has faded since his good first-half display.
The game has hit a bit of a lull in the last five minutes or so, with both sides gearing up for a final thrust in the last 10 minutes. Will either side go for broke in search of a winner or will the risk of losing it outweight that?
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-3 QPR (Charlie Austin)
QPR take the lead again, and what a huge goal that could be in the relegation battle this season! Phillips does really well to battle away on the right channel, winning the ball off a defender before cutting the ball inside for Austin. The striker has worked enough space for himself inside the box to take a touch before drilling his low effort past Guzan. That is his 17th league goal of the season and it may well be his most important yet!
What have Villa got in response, then? They have 10 minutes to prevent themselves from dropping into the relegation zone now and will certainly feel that they don't deserve to be losing this game.
ASTON VILLA SUB: A final throw of the dice from Sherwood as Cleverley is replaced by Charles N'Zogbia.
YELLOW CARD! Hill goes into the book for a foul on N'Zogbia, gifting Villa a free kick in a very good position here. This is a real chance to level things up once again...
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-3 QPR (Christian Benteke)
Incredible scenes as Benteke brings Villa level to complete his hat-trick! This is the pick of the bunch so far, with the striker curling his 25-yard free kick over the wall and in off the post. He has really come to Villa's rescue there, and the way this match has gone you wouldn't bet against someone going on to get a winner here!
This really has been a superb game, with both sides going all out for the win rather than simply trying not to lose the match. We have five minutes left now, and you get the feeling that there is still one last twist here...
The way both sets of players are approaching this game suggests that QPR will be content with a draw now. They are taking their times over the restarts, while Villa are playing with urgency.
CHANCE! A chance for Benteke to get his fourth of the night as Villa play themselves in down the right flank again. Lowton pulls the ball back for Benteke in space, but he leans back and fires his effort well over the crossbar.
All eyes are on the fourth official Lee Mason as he indicates four minutes of added time at the end of this incredible match. I don't want this one to end!
It is Villa who have the ball inside the QPR half in these closing stages, and the hosts are looking more likely to get a winner here. The visitors would be happy to hang on for a point now.
CHANCE! A half chance for Cole late on as Lowton's low cross from the right is met by the sub at the front post. He needs a deft touch to turn it on target, but gets too much on it and puts it wide of the near post.
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 3-3 Queens Park Rangers
The referee brings an end to an enthralling relegation battle at Villa Park, and it is honours even between Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers. It was a thoroughly entertaining affair and, while a draw doesn't do too much for the survival hopes of either side, they can both take confidence from their performances today. QPR remain in the bottom three while Villa are now three points clear of danger, but both have played a game more than the teams around them in the standings, and two more than Leicester.
Benteke was the star of the show for Villa courtesy of a superb hat-trick, the first two of which came in the first half to put Villa ahead after Matty Phillips had opened the scoring for the visitors. Clint Hill's first Premier League goal restored parity again after the break, while Charlie Austin made it 3-2 to QPR with a sharp finish 12 minutes from time. That lead lasted just five minutes, however, as Benteke curled in a free kick to secure the match ball and a share of the spoils for his side.
That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a superb clash between Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers. I will leave you with a match report of the 3-3 draw between the relegation rivals, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
