Two-goal Villa provide biggest Cup shock of weekend in troubled season

While Callum Wilson’s injury-time strike was ultimately in vain as Bournemouth exited the FA Cup at Villa Park on Sunday it was the ninth goal scored by the Cherries on two visits to England’s second city this season.

Eddie Howe’s side thrashed Birmingham City 8-0 back in October and came into today’s fourth round tie with Aston Villa having remarkably scored the same number of goals in Birmingham than the Premier League strugglers had managed all season.

In a weekend of shocks, Andreas Weimann “rocketed” to the top of the Villa scoring charts with his fourth goal of the campaign as Paul Lambert’s side registered more than one goal in a game for only the third time this season.

Carles Gil’s beautiful long-range opener saw him join the likes of defenders Ciaran Clark and Alan Hutton as joint-third top scorer on one goal in what was the Spaniard’s full debut.

Bournemouth, who sit top of the Championship, are currently the highest scorers in English football plundering 57 goals in what could potentially be the greatest season in the club’s history.

In contrast, the claret and blue faithful have endured a wretched campaign so far with their side sitting three points outside the relegation zone and boasting the worst games-per-goal-ratio of any side in the top nine tiers of English football.

Before today, Villa had scored eight at home and only 12 in total in 24 matches.

The last time the Holte End cheered the ball hitting the back of the net was Christian Benteke’s late strike to see off Championship strugglers Blackpool in the previous round with today’s 2-1 victory representing Villa’s second win in nine games - both in the FA Cup.

The big Belgian also found the top corner with a superb curling effort to earn his side a 1-1 draw with Manchester United five days before Christmas - the last of Villa’s 11 league goals this season.

Despite enduring his worst run of form since his move from Genk in 2012, Benteke remains Villa’s prize asset.

The frontman has only managed three goals since his return from a long injury lay-off that saw him miss the opening two months of the season but if he manages to find any rhythm in front of goal during the remainder of the campaign it is hard to see how Villa can hold onto him.

Christian Benteke remains Villa's main source of goals

Since that home draw with United Villa have picked up only two points from a possible 15 thanks to 0-0 draws with Sunderland and Crystal Palace while going down to losses against Swansea City, Leicester City and Liverpool.

Before last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Brendan Rodgers side, a section of the Villa support had called for a protest by boycotting their seats in the Holte End for the first eight minutes of the match to mark each year that American Randy Lerner had owned the club.

However, the protest mirrored the team’s attacking threat on the pitch - non-existent.

Prior to the game, Lambert had urged against the protest saying it would be counter-productive and called on fans to get behind the team in what has been an all too familiar rallying cry from the Scot not only this season but since he was handed the reins by Lerner in 2012.

The lack of a fan walk-out last weekend was not a ringing endorsement of Lambert from the Villa Park faithful however.

The former Norwich City boss does not take his seat in the home dug-out with any tangible backing from the crowd.

Rather, it sums up the apathy and absence of optimism amongst Villa fans who have seen their side post 15^th-place finishes during Lambert’s two seasons in charge.

Ten points from the first four games at the start of the current campaign had emboldened Lerner to hand Lambert a new four-year contract while the feel-good factor in those opening weeks also saw Gabriel Agbonlahor and Alan Hutton commit to long-term deals.

After impressing at the World Cup for The Netherlands, Ron Vlaar’s future in the claret and blue was in doubt but he also remains a Villa player.

As was the case in the summer of 2013 with Benteke, the fact that the best piece of transfer business conducted by Lambert was the retention of one of his main stars highlights Villa’s struggles in attracting the sort of player that will result in the club casting aside the now annual fear of relegation.

Just under £5million was spent on Colombian Carlos Sanchez last summer while Lambert also brought in the likes of Kieran Richardson and Aly Cissokho for next-to-nothing.

Joe Cole and Philippe Senderos were picked up for free while Manchester United misfit Tom Cleverley was signed on a season-long loan.

With the possible exception of Senderos and Sanchez - who have impressed sporadically - the summer acquisitions have been mediocre.

The £7million paid to Genk for Benteke's services remains the largest chunk of the £45million spent by Lambert since becoming Villa manager with the latest tranche going on the £3.25million acquisition of Gil from Valencia.

Paul Lambert is beginning to feel the wrath of Villa fans 

Lambert has been praised for unearthing the odd gem from the lower leagues such as Ashley Westwood who has performed admirably in Villa’s midfield since signing from Crewe Alexandra while Matthew Lowton has not embarrassed himself since making the step-up from Sheffield United in 2012.

The Villa fans have also been heartened by the promotion of academy players into the first team over the past few seasons through the likes of Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker and Andreas Weimann.

However, that goodwill has been eroded through the increasing drudgery of the team’s play and some costly defensive mistakes over the last 18 months and the mood pervading Villa Park is beginning to turn hostile with Lambert the target of fan discontent.

It is to Lambert’s disadvantage that he is the sole conduit of fan ire as the club’s owner remains an infrequent visitor to Birmingham - September’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal was Lerner’s first home game in almost two years.

Handing his manager a new four-year deal points to the fact that Lerner believes Lambert is the man for the job but it is no secret that the American is looking to sell the club he acquired in 2006 for £63million.

The extent to which the former Cleveland Browns owner has scaled back spending on Aston Villa as he seeks a buyer is revealing.

Prior to walking out on the club in August 2010, Martin O’Neill spent £125 million of the American’s money in four seasons.

Over the last four years that has dropped to £90million with £18million of that being splashed out on Darren Bent - currently on loan at Derby County - by then manager Gerard Houllier in the January 2011 transfer window.

Meanwhile, the big transfer news at Villa Park prior to kick-off against Bournemouth was the extension of Fabian Delph’s contract until 2019…