West Brom’s faint hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a significant setback after substitute Keinan Davis scored a 92nd-minute equaliser for Aston Villa.
The Baggies fell behind when Anwar El Ghazi marked his return to the side by firing Villa ahead from the penalty spot after Semi Ajayi had clipped Ross Barkley.
They were then awarded a penalty of their own, Matheus Pereira beating Emiliano Martinez to equalise after Ezri Konsa caught Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Brazilian forward Pereira then hit the bar from a free-kick after creating chances for Okay Yokuslu and Maitland-Niles before Mbaye Diagne’s deflected finish off Tyrone Mings looked to have sealed a third win in four games.
But Davis pounced in the closing moments from close range after a defensive mix-up to deny the Baggies, who are now nine points from safety with five games remaining.
Baggies edge closer to relegation
West Brom’s players dropped to their knees when referee Stuart Attwell blew for full time after seeing three points ripped from their grasp by Davis’ dramatic goal.
They had shown tremendous character to bounce back from Thursday’s tame defeat at Leicester and come from behind to lead their West Midlands rivals at Villa Park,
West Brom started this game 10 points from safety following Burnley’s handsome win at Wolves earlier on Sunday and could quite easily have collapsed after El Gahzi’s ninth minute penalty.
Instead they clawed their way back with Pereira outstanding, the former Sporting Lisbon player scoring one, hitting the bar and setting up numeous chances for his team-mates.
At the other end Sam Johnstone, whose long clearance led to the second goal, produced a huge save to stop England striker Ollie Watkins from equalising.
But they could not hold on and face a quick return to the Championship one season after winning automatic promotion with Leeds.
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Aston Villa
Squad number26Player nameMartÃnez
Squad number27Player nameAhmed El Mohamady
Squad number4Player nameKonsa
Squad number5Player nameMings
Squad number18Player nameTargett
Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
Squad number15Player nameTraoré
Squad number20Player nameBarkley
Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi
Squad number11Player nameWatkins
Squad number9Player nameWesley
Squad number39Player nameDavis
Squad number41Player nameRamsey
West Bromwich Albion
Squad number1Player nameJohnstone
Squad number2Player nameFurlong
Squad number6Player nameAjayi
Squad number5Player nameBartley
Squad number14Player nameTownsend
Squad number35Player nameYokuslu
Squad number12Player nameMatheus Pereira
Squad number18Player nameGallagher
Squad number30Player nameMaitland-Niles
Squad number7Player nameRobinson
Squad number17Player nameDiagne
Squad number10Player namePhillips
Squad number27Player nameO’Shea
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26MartÃnez
- 27El Mohamady
- 4Konsa
- 5Mings
- 18Targett
- 6Douglas LuizSubstituted forRamseyat 78′minutes
- 7McGinn
- 15TraoréSubstituted forWesleyat 90+1′minutes
- 20BarkleySubstituted forDavisat 82′minutes
- 21El Ghazi
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 1Heaton
- 3Taylor
- 9Wesley
- 19Nakamba
- 22Engels
- 30Hause
- 39Davis
- 41Ramsey
- 52Philogene-Bidace
West Brom
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Johnstone
- 2Furlong
- 6Ajayi
- 5Bartley
- 14Townsend
- 35YokusluBooked at 77mins
- 12Costa Pereira
- 18GallagherBooked at 54mins
- 30Maitland-NilesSubstituted forO’Sheaat 86′minutes
- 7RobinsonSubstituted forPhillipsat 67′minutes
- 17Diagne
Substitutes
- 4Robson-Kanu
- 8Livermore
- 10Phillips
- 11Diangana
- 19Sawyers
- 22Peltier
- 25Button
- 27O’Shea
- 29Grant
Live Text
Match ends, Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2.
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2.
Attempt saved. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady.
Attempt saved. Wesley (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady with a cross.
Goal! Aston Villa 2, West Bromwich Albion 2. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from very close range to the high centre of the goal.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Wesley replaces Bertrand Traoré.
Attempt missed. Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Matheus Pereira.
Foul by Matt Targett (Aston Villa).
Mbaye Diagne (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Tyrone Mings following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Anwar El Ghazi with a cross.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Dara O’Shea replaces Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Darnell Furlong.
Attempt saved. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bertrand Traoré.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Keinan Davis replaces Ross Barkley.
Attempt missed. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady.
Matt Targett (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion).
Foul by Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa).
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