Zaha wins the battle, Mings wins the war as Villa laugh loudest

Mings received two yellows in the space of six minutes

Tyrone Mings was sent off on the stroke of half-time after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession against Crystal Palace. Aston Villa went into the half-time break a goal up but a man down after Bertrand Traore's early goal gave the hosts the lead. Anthony Taylor showed Mings a first yellow card after a bust-up with Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha in the 39th minute, when the pair almost came to blows following an overzealous challenge on Zaha. The Palace man had already fouled John McGinn, when Mings came charging in and left a stud on Zaha's leg. Both players were cautioned. Just a few minutes later, Zaha found himself in a situation to take on Mings one v one. With an appetite for revenge, the Ivorian international flicked the ball infield past Mings, whose outstretched arm caught Zaha in the chest and sent him to the ground. Anthony Taylor had no choice but to show the Villa defender a second yellow card and send him for an early bath. Dean Smith made the difficult decision to substitute goalscorer Traore for Ezri Konsa, who filled in at centre-back alongside Kortney Hause. So while Zaha won the battle, it was a case of Mings winning the war as the ten men Villains stretched their lead with goals from Hause and El Ghazi sealing a comprehensive 3-0 win. This is not the first time Zaha and Mings have been involved in an altercation on the pitch. At the back end of last season, the pair were the focus of a similar incident, though neither player was sent off that time. Mings' tendency to make cynical fouls combined with Zaha's fiery temperament seems like the perfect recipe for cards, as demonstrated by today's antics.