Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0

Gabby Agbonlahor scored one and created another as Aston Villa cruised to a comfortable victory over Wigan.

The unbeaten claret and blues had never defeated Wigan at home in the Premier League, but they laid that ghost to rest as Agbonlahor finished in style from the edge of the box in the 36th minute, before setting up Darren Bent in the 62nd minute.

McLeish made one change to the side which drew at Queens Park Rangers, as Bent was restored to the starting line-up with Charles N'Zogbia dropped to the bench against his former club.

Villa, who lined up in a diamond formation, began brightly and the lively Barry Bannan lifted an intelligent ball from deep to Bent, whose cushioned header dropped into the path of Agbonlahor, but the in-form Brummie forward lifted his shot over the bar.

The home side were presented with a free-kick in a dangerous position in the 20th minute which Bannan curled into a crowded six-yard box towards Bent, who could not keep his header down.

Mohamed Diame had a shot from distance moments later, but Villa hit on the counter attack which culminated in a shooting opportunity for Fabian Delph, who watched his curling effort from the edge of the box whistle past the post.

Villa went close again in the 26th minute and, yet again, it was Bannan who was the creator, delivering an inch-perfect pass for Bent inside the box.

The England striker controlled the ball on his right foot and cut inside to unleash a fierce left-foot drive, which Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi somehow blocked.

Bannan's inventiveness opened up the Wigan defence again in the 36th minute, after Stephen Warnock won the ball off Diame with a strong tackle and, this time, it yielded a goal.

The Scotland midfielder sent Agbonlahor clear down the left flank and the forward cut inside Wigan centre-back Gary Caldwell when he got to the corner of the box, before lashing a powerful effort high into the net.

Villa were almost punished for some sloppy play shortly before the break when Delph gave the ball away to Victor Moses, who fed the ball to Franco Di Santo, but he blasted his shot wide of Shay Given's far post.

Agbonlahor almost doubled Villa's advantage early in the second-half, beating four Wigan players and lashing a low fizzing effort which went just wide of the post.

Wigan had a good penalty shout turned down by referee Mark Clattenburg moments later, when Di Santo was clumsily brought down by Alan Hutton, before Al Habsi tipped a spectacular long-range effort from Bannan on to the crossbar in the 54th minute.

Agbonlahor was running round like a man possessed and he showed great strength and pace to leave Emmerson Boyce for dust in the 62nd minute, to set up Villa's second with a pulsating burst down the left.

Bent latched on to Agbonlahor's low cross from the left and calmly steered the ball past Al Habsi from close range, to score in front of the Holte End for the first time in a Villa shirt.

Al Habsi saved spectacularly from a Stiliyan Petrov long-range effort, while goalkeeper Shay Given made a fine double stop to deny Villa old-boy Shaun Maloney and Di Santo, but the home side were good value for the three points.