Three poor performances had seen Villa struggle in the League Cup, humiliated in the League and knocked out of the UEFA Cup as a previously buoyant Tony Barton side looked suddenly thoroughly out of sorts. 

Despite taking a 2’ lead Villa are given a torrid time by Spartak with Nigel Spink repeatedly saving them but he could do nothing about a last minute deflection to knock Villa out.

Tony Barton's Villa come off the back of the heavy Arsenal defeat to lose to Spartak at home and exit the UEFA Cup at the second round on an aggregate defeat but that hardly told the story.

Spartak had scored an injury time equaliser in the away leg that punctured an outstanding Villa performance to leave the tie equal at 'half time'; Villa scored after just two minutes of the home leg only for Spartak to hit an equaliser on the night in Birmingham with just seconds of the second half played; 

Spartak then hit an injury time winner through a Dennis Mortimer own goal credited to their 'two' goal hero Cherenkov. Cruel.