Welcome to the final of today’s Premier League games. In truth, it’s probably the most meaningless given where these teams are in the table. And neither play good football. But there will be a lot of Irish on show. How’s that for selling it?

The teams

Stoke City Sorensen, Woodgate, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Shotton, Palacios, Whitehead, Etherington, Jones, Walters

Subs: Begovic, Diao, Pennant, Upson, Delap, Wilkinson, Jerome

Aston VillaGuzan, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Clark, Petrov, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Heskey

Subs: Subs: Marshall, Ireland, Delfouneso, Bannan, Weimann, Johnson, Gardner.

And we’re off. With Stoke forcing two quick corners. Which Villa beat away. A pattern might develop here.

Villa competing well so far.

Heskey smashes the post from an N’Zogbia corner. Villa have threatened a few times fom set-pieces now.

Since the next comment is so predictable, we’ll inject a bit of fun. Put these words into a sentence:

‘Stoke’ ‘Taste’ ‘Own’ ‘Medicine’

Villa having the better of it in what has been a competitive game.

Huth heads over from a Whitehead free under pressure. Beautiful delivery from the midfielder. Warning for Villa.

Albrighton hits a corner in, Stoke clear it. Lot’s of that.

Of course, Albrighton will be remembered for scoring the 20,000th Premier League goal in the same way that most people completely forgot Andy Townsend got the 5,000th.

Petrov smashes an effort wide after an impressive break from Villa with abrasive tackles flying in. Aggressive but fair. More of that please.

The ball almost breaks for Kenwyne Jones in the box but Guzan is out very quickly to smother.

Half-time: Sunderland 0-0 Aston Villa.

Not great to watch although, surprisingly, Villa have had the better of it. Especially from set-pieces.

Good stat courtesy of the BBC:

Stoke have only scored seven first half goals this season, while Villa have failed to score in four of their last six league matches.

And a better stat via Opta:

62% – Stoke’s passing accuracy v Villa is the 4th-worst of any team in any game this season. Two of the three below this were also Stoke.

Half-time switch for Villa: Heskey – who had been dangerous – comes off for Delfouneso

Stoke looking much livelier already in this second half, pinning Villa back.

Heskey, by the by, was forced off by a recurrence of his Achilles problem.

Shotton gets a fine cross in after good work on the right but Cuellar does well to beat Walters to the header to send it clear.

There were seven Villa players near their 18-yard line there and just two Stoke yet Pulis’s side still made the flick-on and connection.

Good save Sorenson. Villa break rapidly using Agbonlahor’s pace. He slides the ball across for Delfouneso but the keeper managers to deflect his touch away.

Huth heads a corner just over. Richard Dunne did well there. And he hasn’t looked the sturdiest today.

Sudden outbreak of non-set-piece-based action as Charles N’Zogbia cuts inside and shoots. It’s wide though.

Rory Delap is on for Wilson Palacios.

Close opportunity and controversy there as Walters powers a header off the bar. As it comes and looks to be going over the line Agbonlahor clears but there then appears to be a handball. Might have been a penalty.

It was Wilson with the header not Walters, sorry. About 80% of the ball was pver the line and it hit Agbonlahor’s chest. Villa get away with it but justifiably.

N’Zogbia hits a free, Sorenson fumbles it but Stoke scramble it away.

N’Zogbia’s been really coming into the game and making things happen for Villa.

Into the last 10 with a corner to Villa. It means they’re winning that mini-match 7-6.

Collins pushes Jones at the edge of the boxing, conceding a dangerous free to Stoke…

… Huth’s shot blocked by the wall.

We’re into the last five minutes, as Guzan comes out to claim a Delap throw.

Guzan this time misses the set-piece but Collins is on hand to head back out.

Into stoppage time now. Villa look like hanging on.

Full-time: Stoke City 0-0 Aston Villa

That’s it. Not the best game nor the most unpredictable either. Given positions. though, and the nature of that game – only one real opportunity – doubt either side will be too disappointed.