U23s: Stoke City 0-8 Aston Villa

Aston Villa's Under-23s produced a stunning display of attacking football to beat Stoke City 8-0 in Premier League 2 on Monday night. 

Mark Delaney selected a strong starting XI at Clayton Wood, with plenty of names that have been in and around Dean Smith's first team squad included.

After an own goal opened the scoring following good work from Aaron Ramsey, Jaden Philogene-Bidace scored a hat-trick, with Caleb Chukwuemeka and Carney Chukwuemeka each recording a brace. 

Villa took the lead inside five minutes when Ramsey's effort was deflected home, and the opener set the tone for the rest of the night. 

Delaney's team looked strong going forward and Caleb forced a top close-range save on the quarter-hour mark, before Philogene-Bidace had a shot parried and held.

Stoke had their moments in the first half and D'Margio Wright-Phillips shot just wide after half an hour but Caleb went close again soon after, seeing his effort loop up before being cleared off the line by Lewis Macari. 

Seven minutes before half-time, the floodgates opened. 

Philogene-Bidace beat the Stoke goalkeeper with a powerful low shot to make it 2-0, before Caleb got the third just two minutes later.

Carney then ensured that Villa would take a four-goal lead into the break, after his shot was deflected into the net as first half stoppage time approached. 

It was five just four minutes after the interval as Carney beat several Stoke defenders before finding the bottom corner with his left foot, before Caleb made it six with a similar finish after being played through brilliantly by Tim Iroegbunam.

More excellent work from Caleb then produced the seventh, as he held off a defender before playing a square pass for Philogene-Bidace, who rolled the ball into an empty net. 

Villa kept up the intensity but had to wait until the 85th minute to get their eighth goal of the night, with substitute Tristan Goodridge timing his run perfectly and squaring for Philogene-Bidace to complete his hat-trick.