Aston Villa limped to victory over bottom-dwellers Sunderland on Tuesday evening at Villa Park, with three points ensuring Villa consolidated their spot in the playoff places.

Goals from Albert Adomah and Josh Onomah put the hosts firmly in control, before a Lewis Grabban goal halved the deficit in the 72nd minute, setting up a tense and nervy finish for the hosts.

The average display reflected on the crowd, with chairman Tony Xia taking to Twitter to criticise those in attendance at Villa Park for being too quiet, insisting that more noise is needed when the Villains take on Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

Chinese businessman Xia is outspoken on the social media site, and fans will not be surprised to see their eccentric owner using the platform to drum up support for the club.

Fans hold a lot of respect for the work Xia has done at the club following their relegation from the Premier League, and responded in positive fashion to the rallying call…