Premier League: Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Aston Villa earned their second win of the season beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 at Villa Park on Saturday.

Goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent were enough to send the Latics to their fifth consecutive defeat as the Villains recorded their first-ever home win over Wigan in their seventh attempt.

And in truth, they were deserved winners over the 90 minutes, with Agbonlahor in particular putting in an inspired performance against a defence who had no answer to his pace.

Wigan, though, will feel hard done by that they did not receive a penalty when 1-0 down in the second-half when Franco Di Santo appeared to be body-checked by Alan Hutton in the penalty area.

The home side nearly took the lead after 10 minutes when Bent flicked Barry Bannan’s dink into the area back towards Agbonlahor but he volleyed over with his left foot from 12 yards.

Caldwell was booked for an elbow on the striker when challenging for a header and from the free-kick on the left, Bent headed Bannan’s cross over.

The Scot was making some delightful passes into the area and another flighted ball fell into the path of Bent in the area, who cut in past Figueroa and Van Aanholt and volleyed at goal with his left foot from 12 yards but Al Habsi batted the ball away at the second attempt for a corner.

Wigan were by no means being dominated, but their only efforts on goal were 25 yard shots from Mohamed Diame and Stam which did not threaten Shay Given, while at the other end Stephen Ireland also missed the target twice from outside the area.

The breakthrough came after 35 minutes, courtesy of a great strike from Agbonlahor.

Stephen Warnock dispossessed Diame in his own half before giving the ball to Bannan, whose pass down the left set the striker running against Caldwell.

With nobody to support him, Caldwell was turned inside and out before Agbonlahor cut in and slammed a shot high into Al Habsi’s near post which the goalkeeper could do nothing about.

But the Latics almost went into the break level after Fabian Delph, who had been having a difficult game, gifted possession to Watson in his own half.

The away side were able to break, with Victor Moses feeding Franco Di Santo on the right-hand side of the area, but when faced by James Collins he could only hit his shot just wide of Given’s right-hand post.

The most contentious moment of the match came early in the second half as Di Santo looked to have been bodychecked by Alan Hutton in the penalty area after a strong run which had seen him go past Bannan and a limp challenge from Collins.

But despite his protests, referee Mark Clattenburg waved away his appeals.

The home side then doubled their lead and again it was all down to Agbonlahor.

After robbing McCarthy down the left, he stormed past Boyce before chipping a cross to the back post where Bent was all alone to tap in.

McLeish would have expected an easy afternoon after the second goal, but Wigan were nearly back in the match as Caldwell only just failed to slide in Watson’s great free-kick from the left.

Al-Habsi was in action once again, making a replica save to the one he made form Bannan earlier, but this time the shot came from Petrov.