Villa thrash Blues 5-1 in the Second City derby

Aston Villa have beaten Birmingham City 5-1 at Villa Park in the Second City derby, their biggest winning margin against their neighbours for many years.

Ashley Young and John Carew scored twice each, and Gabriel Agbonlahor added another, as Villa ran riot on 20 April. Mikael Forssell scored Birmingham's consolation.

Villa in control

Martin O'Neill's side dominated from the start, with Young and Carew causing problems for the Birmingham defence throughout. The result extends Villa's winning run in the derby, with Birmingham now having lost four derbies in a row.

Villa's European hopes

The win keeps Villa in the race for a place in Europe next season. O'Neill, appointed in 2006, has built an exciting young team, and players such as Young and Agbonlahor have become some of the most sought-after in the country.

Carew, the Norwegian striker, has been a key figure since joining the club last year, and has formed a strong partnership with Agbonlahor.

Blues in danger

For Birmingham, the defeat is a serious blow to their hopes of staying in the Premier League. Promoted last season, Blues are in the thick of the relegation battle, with only a few games left.

Manager Alex McLeish, who took over from Steve Bruce in November, has struggled to lift the team, and the heavy defeat to their fiercest rivals will hurt supporters badly.

A historic rivalry

The Second City derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham City is one of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in English football, with the clubs first meeting in 1879. Villa have historically had the upper hand, but Birmingham enjoyed a spell of success in the derby earlier this decade, including a famous 3-0 win in 2002, the first top-flight derby for 16 years.

Tension

The derby is always a highly charged occasion, and police were out in force around Villa Park before and after the game. Supporters of both clubs are kept apart, and derby matches are often played at lunchtime to reduce the risk of trouble.

What next

Villa will now look to finish the season strongly and secure European football, while Birmingham must regroup quickly for a run of games that will decide whether they stay up.

For Villa supporters, the result will be savoured for a long time. For Blues fans, it is a painful reminder of the gap that has opened up between the two clubs this season.

Villa Park, the club's home since 1897, has staged many famous occasions, including FA Cup semi-finals and matches at the 1966 World Cup and Euro 96, but few home wins over Birmingham have been as emphatic as this one.