When the club that has the most points from losing positions play the the one with the worst record from winning positions at home, you have to start worrying if you are the latter if you score as early as Villa did today.
They couldn't make their lead hold up, despite playing against 10 men for half an hour in a fast paced exciting game at the Hawthornes.
Villa stole the lead with the first meaningful attack from either side. Downing put a low cros in and Maite inexplicably tried to clear with the outside of his right boot instead of swinging his left and the ball bounced into the empty half of the goal with Carson helpless.
Moments later, Maite was almost embarrassed again when Petrov's low shot clipped him and Carson re-adjusted to save.
Villa were playing with confidence seldom seen this season, but despite trying to play the ball on the ground, Albion players looked a lot more assured in possession.
Early controversy when the ref showed no patience with Scharner and the Austrian was booked for a late studs up challenge. It seemed petty, cosidering Reo-Coker committed 2 more fouls in the subsequent minutes to add to one early on without even a warning.
Albion started geting the upper hand and Mulumbu forced a good save from Friedel with a fierce shot from outside the box.
Young fired high after a mistake by Jara, then,Vela did his chances of playing for Arsenal again no favours by chipping high when a low drive was the best option.
Odemwingie kept toying with Villa's high line and appeared to have sprung the trap and was fouled when clean through by Collins. The linesman, erroneously, decided he was off.
Bent was caught offside minutes later as he put the ball into Albions goal and it sparked Villa to start dominating the next phase of the game. Villa was having joy down the right wing with Shorey getting overworked by the one-two punch of Walker and Downing. Petrov got into the act getting down the bye line, but the final ball was always lacking for Villa.
Vela hit a free-kick narrowly over the bar and Villa finished the half with a 3 minute spell of possession, but no punch to get at the Baggies.
Villa started well in the second. Petrov got through on goal in the 48th, but never got a handle on the ball and the decisive pass was lacking again.
Villa's Dunne and Albion's Jara were injured in separate incidents and were both withdrawn in favor of Clarke and Tamas respectively. The changed marked another reversal in the game as Albion pressed and Odemwingie gave Clarke fits.
Vela was clean through until a last ditch tackle from Luke young saved Villa, but it wasn't long before Albion grabbed the equalizer and surprise, surprise it was a set piece. Scharner was constantly winning the far post crosses and sending them across the goal. The ball was scrambled and fell to Odemwingie for him to Volley into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later and Albion fans were quieted when Scharner unneccessarily slashed at petrov's legs after trying to wrestle him unsuccessfully to the ground. The ref had left himself no alternative but to send the midfielder off.
Villa was now in control again and then Villa did what they have done all season. They turned to the old man of the club, Pires to either a) thread the perfect pass through Albion's defence or more likely b) even up the teams to 10 apiece.
Young had a shot beaten away by Carson, Agbonlahor headed over and Pires volleyed over. Downing had a good shot saved by Carson after a decent Pires run.
You got the sense that the bad news for Villa was, that they lacked imagination to break down a tight defence, but the good news would be that Albion would find a belief that they could win this thing and they might let their guard down.
It was true, but, the really bad news was that Albion scored on the first attempt.
Villa was attacking again, Mulumbu hacked down Bent and Villa kept on going. Pires started making sloppy passes and after the ball went out of play and Mulumbo was booked, Albion went to work.
Collins mistimed his challenge and Cox got away from him finding Mulumbu who had moved forward and he easily outwitted Clarke and tucked the ball over Friedel and it was the Villa faithful that went quiet.
Odemwingie almost killed off the game 4 minutes later as Villa looked stunned.
Albion celebrate a deserved victory after 2 decades of coming up empty against Villa. Villa still have work to do to stay clear of the drop and will be rooting on Albion as they take on Wolves next week.