Good afternoon and welcome to our live text coverage of what promises to be a fiery Midlands derby between Premier League rivals Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park.

Both sides head into the match looking to register their second win of the campaign, each having struggled to find consistency so far. The Baggies are better off ahead of kickoff - but only just - starting the afternoon one point ahead of Villa in 15th place. You can see how they stack up ahead of kickoff here.

Brace yourself, team news is on the way...

VILLA: Guzan; Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Amavi; Sanchez, Westwood; Gil, Grealish, Sinclair; Agbonlahor

WEST BROM: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt; Morrison, Fletcher, Yacob, McClean; Berahino, Rondon

Baggies boss Tony Pulis has brought an attacking lineup to Villa Park, with Saido Berahino earning a recall and starting alongside summer signing Salomon Rondon up front. James Morrison returns to the midfield while Jonny Evans has recovered from a dead leg to take up his place at the back.

Over to Villa, and defender Joleon Lescott has been handed start against his former club, while Gabriel Agbonlahor leads the attack. Summer recruit Rudy Gestede was pushing for a recall this afternoon, but Tim Sherwood has left him on the bench in favour of using his skipper as the target man.

Head to head, it's Villa who have the superior record in this fixture, with the Baggies winning just once in the last eight meetings. West Brom lost twice on this ground last season after being drawn against their neighbours in the FA Cup, but they beat them on their own turf thanks to a Craig Gardner winner.

We are expecting there to be at least one goal today, as there hasn't been a 0-0 draw between these this pair since 2006. That is the only goalless draw the two teams have shared in all nine of their Premier League meetings.

PREDICTION: Recent history tells us to expect a goal, and we think it will fall the way of the visitors today. Expect a tight game between two sides who will be desperate to register a second win of the season, but Villa's defensive frailties could be the deciding factor.

You can watch the Sports Mole sofa team discussing the potential outcome of this one in more detail in the video below:

Some pre-match quotes coming up from both camps...

SHERWOOD: "Derbies are good games to be involved in. I hear a lot of managers say it's just another game. It's not. It's a lot more than that - local pride and bragging rights. We need to make sure we do it for our fans and for ourselves."

PULIS: "The disappointing thing last year was the crowd trouble and I hope and pray both sets of supporters go there tomorrow and really respect football. That's what it's really about, two teams going head to head and giving it everything."

And here are some of the scenes around Villa Park ahead of kickoff, courtesy of some arty shots from the club's Twitter page:

Sherwood's side head into the match in indifferent form, having won one, drew one, and lost one in all competitions, but last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Leicester City will certainly have set off some alarm bells for the Villans coach. Leading 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining, Villa completely capitulated in the closing stages of the game. That kind of defensive vulnerability is usually punished in local derbies.

West Brom endured a tough start to the season, losing to Manchester City in Chelsea in the opening three weeks, but things started to pick up before the international break when they secured their first win against Stoke City and followed it with a goalless draw against Southampton.

All eyes with be on this man, Saido Berahino, today. Can the striker put the transfer controversy that has plagued the early stages of his season behind him and put on a show today? Stay tuned to find out...

We've already had one match in the Premier League so far today, with Chelsea defeating Arsenal 2-0 in the early kickoff. You can find out how that one played out with our match report here.

Just over five minutes to go until kickoff and Villa Park is filling up nicely. The atmosphere is befitting of a local derby and the sunny Midlands weather is ideal for football.

The two teams are heading out onto the pitch now and the stadium is rocking...

KICKOFF! West Brom get us under way, kicking from right to left in the first period. Who will claim bragging rights in the Midlands? The next 90 minutes will answer that question.

GREAT SAVE! West Brom create the first chance of the afternoon, and it's a big one. Chris Brunt plays in a great cross from wide on the left and Salomon Rondon finds his way in between to Villa defenders too easily and meets it with a header. Brad Guzan produces an impressive save to deny him, but the Baggies striker directed his attempt too close to the goalkeeper.

Pulis will be pleased with the way his side have set out their stall. They have seen more of the ball than the hosts and could so easily have taken the lead from that Rondon header. Villa have just ventured into the final third through the speedy Gabriel Agbonlahor, but a well-timed tackle from Jonathan Evans snuffed out the danger.

More pressure from West Brom as they earn a couple of corners in quick succession. Berahino's cross from the second one is headed behind by Alan Hutton for a third corner, but this one is squandered and Villa clear the danger.

The visitors are moving the ball around nicely and Villa are struggling to break through their midfield. When they have ventured into the danger zone, Gabriel Agbonlahor has cut a lone figure up front, lacking support from his teammates.

A dreadful pass by Fletcher gifts Villa possession in midfield and they scramble to string at attack together, which ends abruptly when Jack Grealish fails to pick out the advancing Gabriel Agbonlahor in the box. The Baggies were looking comfortable on the ball prior to that error.

Good defending from Jordan Amavi under pressure from James McClean. He didn't give the midfielder an inch in the box as her shepherds the ball out from a goalkick. West Brom started the brighter of the two sides, but this is starting to look like an evenly-matched derby now.

Here's an action shot of Amavi standing his ground as McClean looms in menacingly:

There's almost a chance for West Brom as Berahino comes within an inch of latching onto a long ball into the Villa box. He just got a touch to it, but Guzan was quick off his line to collect.

BOOKING! Brunt has become the first player to go into the book for tripping up Scott Sinclair. He can't really complain about that one as he missed the ball pretty much entirely.

SHOT! Claudio Yacob gives away possession needlessly in the final third, allowing Grealish to line up Ashley Westwood for a strike from 20 yards out. The midfielder goes for goal and his effort ends up sailing high and wide. Playing a cross towards the far post would have been a better option.

GREAT BLOCK! Yacob makes amends for his earlier error by producing a vital interception in the box to deny Villa the lead. Agbonlahor uses his pace and and plays a low pass into the area, which Carles Gil latches onto and shoots first time, only to be denied by Yacob's brave interception.

It's been all Villa for the last 10 minutes or so. They attempt to stage another attack as Sinclair races into the area and sends a cross towards the six-yard box, but Yacob is there again to make the interception and clear the danger.

SAVE! Brad Guzan to Villa's rescue again! Darren Fletcher twists and turns before shooting from 25 yards out. His effort is bending towards the top corner, but Guzan beats it clear to deny West Brom the lead once again.

No goals at Villa Park with just over half an hour gone, but we've had a good open game here, with both sides staging positive attacks.

BOOKING! Morrison goes into the book for a foul on Gil. That was another blatant foul and an easy decision for the referee, who had a word in Brunt's ear just moments earlier. What are the odds of West Brom finishing the game with 11 men on the pitch?

Amavi has been a key figure for Villa this afternoon, standing solid at the back. Here's an action shot of him tangling with McClean:

West Brom take the lead, and isn't it just typical that it comes from the controversial Berahino upon his return to the starting XI? Morrison went for goal from outside the box, and the big striker sticks a foot out to deflect the ball beyond Guzan. The Villa keeper would almost certainly have saved the initial strike, but the deflection off Berahino's boot left him with no chance.

Just one minute of stoppage time to be played at the end of the first half.

A few boos ring out at Villa Park as the half-time whistle sounds and the hosts head into the break trailing 1-0 to neighbours West Bromwich Albion. Berahino has made the headlines for the right reasons today, as it's his goal that separates the two sides.

There's a few other Premier League matches going on right now. Here's how they stand at half time:

Bournemouth 2-0 Sunderland
Newcastle 0-2 Watford
Stoke 2-0 Leicester
Swansea 0-0 Everton

Earlier today, champions Chelsea defeated Arsenal 2-0 and the current table-toppers Manchester City are in action later this evening, taking on West Ham United at home.

The first-half stats here at Villa Park paint a picture of an evenly-matched derby. Villa edged the possession on 53%, while West Brom managed one more shot on goal than their opponents with six. However, the most telling stat is that three of the Baggies attempts were on target and none of Villa's were.

Villa have pressed the visitors a few times, and would have taken the lead if Yacob hadn't been on hand to block that Gil strike in the 26th minute, but it's fair to say West Brom have created the best chances.

If you've just joined us, you can get yourself up to speed on all of the action from the first period with our half-time report here.

Both sets of players are back in the pitch now. Minute-by-minute updates from the second half on the way...

KICKOFF: We're back under way at Villa Park and the hosts have made a substitution for the second period, throwing on Rudy Gestede for Scott Sinclair, an attacking change that sees the Villans take on a 4-4-2 formation.

It's down to Villa to attack West Brom in the second half, but we've seen no sign of that early on. The Baggies are quickest off the starting blocks, but their attack breaks down as Rondon brings down Lescott and the referee blows for a foul.

Dawson picks out Fletcher out wide with a lovely ball over the top, and the latter wins a corner as the ball rebounds behind off Amavi. The move collapses when the referee spots something he doesn't like in the box as the corner is coming in, awarding a free kick to Villa.

SHOT! Villa hit the target for the first time this afternoon as Carlos Sanchez curls an effort towards goal from 25 yards out. It took a little deflection off Evans on its way towards goal, but was essentially straight at Boaz Myhill, who makes an easy catch.

Here's the moment after Berahino gave the Baggies the lead in the first half:

There's another half-chance for Villa, and it comes from a free kick around 25 yards from goal after Yacob drags down Agbonlahor. Cil steps up to take it and lets fly, but it ends up being another easy catch for Myhill, who's had very little to do this afternoon.

CHANCE! Great turn by Salomon Rondon to shake off Lescott on the edge of the box. The big forward bends a powerful strike towards goal that Guzan can only parry. For a moment, it looked like Rondon's strike was going to creep into the net after deflecting off the Villa keeper's gloves, but Guzan scoops it up at the second time of asking.

BOOKING! Carles Gil is the first Villa player to go into the book for taking out Berahino.

Good defensive play from Dawson keeps Agbonlahor at bay as Villa go in search of an equaliser. He holds off the speedy striker and blocks his way towards goal, ushering the ball out for a Baggies goalkick.

Agbonlahor does well to make it to the byline, using his pace well. He plays in a dangerous cross that bends towards goal and almost catches out Myhill. It's an awkward one for the goalkeeper to claim, but he just about manages to keep hold of it.

GOAL DISALLOWED! Micah Richards just thought he had drawn Villa level with a header. He beat Myhill to a lofted pass inside the area and nodded the ball beyond the Baggies keeper, but the whistle had sounded moments earlier for a Villa free kick outside the box. The resulting free kick is fired into the stand by Westwood, so Villa get nothing out of the move.

Leandro Bacuna is preparing to come on for Villa. Sherwood is throwing on another attacker to press West Brom.

SUBSTITUTION: Bacuna is on the field now and it's Carles Gil who makes way. Villa could do with another target man up front as they are struggling to break down this resolute West Brom defence.

Bacuna's first contribution is to thump a free kick against the wall from around 30 yards out. He's scored some spectacular goals from that distance in the past, but that wasn't one of his finest hours. West Brom react quickly to scramble the rebound clear.

SUBSTITUTION: One final throw of the dice for Villa as Carlos Sanchez makes way for Jordan Veretout - a like-for-like chance in the midfield as Sanchez is showing signs of fatigue. Amavi goes into the book for a foul.

CHANCE! McClean slings a cross towards the back post and Rondon jumps high in the box. His header dips beneath the crossbar, but Guzan produces a diving save to smother the ball. The West Brom striker didn't get much power behind his effort, but it was a tricky one for the Villa stopper.

Amavi puts a searching ball into the area and it goes behind off Dawson. Villa squander the corner and West Brom quickly stage an attack of their own at the other end, but it grinds to a halt as McClean is dispossessed out wide.

West Brom are living dangerously and inviting Villa to attack, but the hosts have lacked bite all afternoon and can't find a way through. Just one minute plus stoppage time remains. Can the Villans dig deep and find an equaliser?

SUBSTITUTION: Rondon makes way for Rickie Lambert as West Brom throw on some fresh legs for stoppage time, of which there will be four minutes to play.

Some of the remaining Villa fans look disgusted with their team's performance. They have turned their backs on the action and boos are ringing out as West Brom win possession in the dying stages.

A chorus of boos rings out around Villa Park as West Bromwich Albion take all three points from the Midlands derby thanks to Saido Berahino's goal in the first half. The Villans simply didn't create enough chances this afternoon and can have no complaints about ending up on the wrong side of the scoreline.

Tim Sherwood has his work cut out at Villa at the moment. Last time they started a league campaign this badly, they were relegated from the top flight. You can read our full report on the action from Villa Park here.

Here are the other full-time results from today's Premier League fixtures:

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
Bournemouth 2-0 Sunderland
Newcastle 1-2 Watford
Stoke 2-2 Leicester
Swansea 0-0 Everton

That's all we have time for at Villa Park, but be sure to stick with Sports Mole for all the fallout from today's matches up and down the country. Many thanks for joining us.