Villa need an injury time goal for the fourth time this season to rescue a result but now have just one win in nine as madness descends at Villa Park and Steve Bruce departs.

Bruce had led Villa for 102 games, finished 13th and 4th in the EFL Championship table and been Championship Play Off Runners Up in 2017-18. 

Having 4 games earlier said “I’ve always wanted to play two up top and for some reason here, it hasn’t really happened. We’ve got the personnel to do it, you’ve seen that tonight, those two [Abraham and Kodjia] will be a threat for anybody.” Steve Bruce elected to take both his centre forwards off by the 74’ with Villa leading 2-1. 

Preston soon capitalised and within 12 minutes had opened up a 3-2 lead. With both his penalty takers off the field it was left to Glenn Whelan to take the 97’ spot kick awarded for a foul on Birkir Bjarnason. Whelan (73 appearances, 2 goals) missed. 

James Chester is sent off on his 107th appearance to make it W45 D32 L30, 7 Goals, 1 Assist, 13 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Birkir Bjarnason makes his 25th start in a Villa shirt (43 Appearances) to make it W23 D8 L12, 6 Goals, 3 Assists and 2 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Goalkeeper Mark Bunn makes his 21st and final appearance for Villa (20 Starts) aged 33 before being released by the club in July 2019. On his return to the side for the first time in six months Bunn conceded 3 goals in a game with regular ‘keeper Ørjan Nyland on the bench. Nyland had conceded 14 goals in 13 games so far this season at a rate of 1.08 goals per game. It was these sort of decisions and the self absorbing commentary from him that ultimately cost Steve Bruce his job. Bunn left the club with a record of W5 D7 L9, 36 Goals Conceded, 5 Clean Sheets and 5 Bookings.

Jack Grealish collects his 20th booking in a Villa shirt on his 122nd Appearances (77 Starts) to make it W42 D27 L53, 9 Goals, 14 Assists, 20 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

Steve Bruce is sacked by Villa following the Preston draw as his reign comes to a pitiful and humiliating end involving a red face and a cabbage. Bruce had steadied the ship after five years of rapid decline under Houllier, McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde and Di Matteo and would take Villa within 90 minutes of promotion in 2017-18 whilst navigating a financial crisis. Despite that, his time at Villa would fall apart in 2018 and he would leave with a decent second tier record of 102 Games W46 D25 L31 at a rate of 1.60 points per game.