Marko Arnautovic strike sees off Aston Villa as pressure builds on Tim Sherwood

A Marko Arnautovic goal gave Stoke City a richly-deserved win over a ramshackle Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Both teams went into the game under pressure after a poor start to the season, but it was visitors Stoke City who were the only team to turn up in a one-sided first half. The Potters dominated for the vast majority of the game and almost went ahead in spectacular fashion when Charlie Adam drew a brilliant save out of Brad Guzan with a shot from inside the Stoke half.

Arnautovic thought he’d opened the scoring for the Potters when he turned home the excellent Bojan’s clever cross before the break, but the linesman harshly adjudged him offside.

However, the Stoke wide man wasn’t to be denied after the interval, finishing low past Brad Guzan after being given acres of space on the edge of the Villa penalty area.

Villa finally responded with some sustained pressure for the final 15 minutes, but it was too little too late from Tim Sherwood’s side. The manager’s five-at-the-back first-half formation never looked like breaking the visitors down and the reaction of the home crowd on the final whistle suggests that time may be running out for the Villa boss.

17’ Charlie Adam loves a shot from the halfway line, but this one is well inside his own half and has Guzan scrambling backwards to fingertip the shot around the post.

26’ There's panic in the Stoke defence as a Westwood corner is whipped into the mixer. Gestede drags the tallest defenders to the front post, leaving Lescott at the back stick. He forces a good save from Butland, but the whistle has already gone for a foul.

34’ Arnautovic thinks he's given Stoke the lead, prodding a Bojan cross past a helpless Guzan... but the flag is up. That's a tight call, to say the least!

55’ GOOOAAALLL!!! Arnautovic opens the scoring for Stoke. He's left in acres of space on the edge of the area and controls a fizzed pass well before sliding his finish past the onrushing Guzan. 1-0 Stoke.

56’ Villa very nearly pull one back straight away as an unmarked Richards rises inside the area, but his header slides inches wide.

88’ Diouf has still not been able to stand up since being helped from the field and a stretcher is being taken down the touchline towards the stricken Stoke striker. That doesn't look good.

Under pressure and in dire need of a home win to raise spirits around the club heading into the international break, Sherwood put out a side feature five defenders and virtually no creativity in midfield. The absence of Jordan Ayew, Jack Grealish and Carles Gil from the starting line-up left front-man Rudy Gestede completely isolated and removed any width that would have allowed the striker to use his impressive heading ability. Tactical decisions such as these are constantly undermining Sherwood and could end up costing him another Premier League job.

ASTON VILLA: Guzan 7; Hutton 6, Richards 7, Lescott 5, Amavi 5; Crespo 6, Veretout 5, Gana 5, Westwood 5, Sinclair 5; Gestede 6. Subs: Grealish 5, Ayew 6, Gil 5.

STOKE CITY: Butland 7; Johnson 7, Cameron 7, Wollscheid 7, Pieters 7; Whelan 7, Adam 8, Walters 7, Bojan 8, Arnautovic 9; Diouf 7. Subs: Afellay 6, Van Ginkel 6, Joselu 6.