Villa beaten in Peter Whittingham Memorial Match

Aston Villa fell to a 3-1 reverse as Cardiff City triumphed in the Peter Whittingham Memorial Match.

The encounter celebrated and paid tribute to the former Villa and Cardiff midfielder, who sadly passed away in March 2020 at the age of just 35.

The fixture at Cardiff City Stadium also officially launched the PW7 Foundation, founded in 2021 by Peter’s family in his memory, with all proceeds from the game supporting the charity.

Ollie Tanner handed the hosts the lead prior to the interval before Kion Etete doubled their advantage in the 54^th minute.

Villa substitute Jacob Ramsey reduced the deficit from Douglas Luiz’s corner, while Etete doubled his tally and added City’s third midway through the second period.

The match saw head coach Unai Emery make a total of 10 changes in the Welsh capital as the Villans returned to action in readiness for the resumption of Premier League action.

Goalkeeper Filip Marschall, left-back Seb Revan and midfielder Tommi O’Reilly were named in Villa’s starting XI.

The young trio joined Tyrone Mings, Calum Chambers, Boubacar Kamara, Marvelous Nakamba, Emi Buendía, Ollie Watkins, Cameron Archer and captain Ashley Young in Villa’s line-up.

Both teams were led out by family and former team-mates of Whittingham, before the action was paused in the seventh minute for all those present to pay their respects with a minute’s applause in honour of City’s No.7, who made 66 appearances for Villa.

Villa created the game’s first clear-cut opening in the 27^th minute but Buendía could only send his volley over the crossbar from eight yards having been found by Kamara’s chipped ball over the top.

And it was the hosts who opened the scoring just before half-time as Tanner surged into Villa’s penalty area and unleashed a low left-footed strike across Marschall and into the far corner.

Revan searched for an immediate response but saw his effort blocked by Perry Ng as the Bluebirds led at the break.

Emery made eight changes at the interval, introducing Ramsey, Luiz, Lamare Bogarde, Ezri Konsa, Lucas Digne, Arjan Raikhy, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings.

Substitute Bailey twice went close to a leveller within minutes of the restart, but it was the hosts who doubled their lead shortly afterwards as Etete swept home from Niels Nkounkou’s low cross.

Yet Villa were soon back in it as Ramsey converted Luiz’s corner from close range.

Etete lobbed off target in the 64^th minute before boss Emery turned to Josh Feeney and Kadan Young off the bench.

But, as Villa chased a leveller, it was City who added a third as the lively Etete headed home Morgan Wigley’s cross.

Villa line-up: Marschall, Young (Bogarde 46), Chambers (Feeney 67), Mings (Konsa 46), Revan (Digne 46), O’Reilly (Raikhy 46), Nakamba (Young 67), Kamara (Luiz 46), Buendía (Ramsey 46), Archer (Bailey 46), Watkins (Ings 46).