Gus Poyet could not have looked more despondent at the final whistle had the fans who tried to storm his dugout in the first half got to him, vented their ire in his face and made it crystal clear they felt that he was to blame. ‘I am responsible,’ he said, looking as gloomy as at any point since he became Sunderland’s manager in October 2013. ‘I’m extremely disappointed. I wasn’t expecting this to happen. But it’s football, I suppose.’ It’s football, too, that woeful form and defeats like these lead to managerial sackings. Poyet’s job prospects looked more dire by the minute as this match wore on. Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke slotted home the first goal in the 16th minute to end Villa's goal drought on the road . Gabriel Agbonlahor ran on to Ciaran Clark's long ball and beat Sunderland keeper Costel Pantilimon to make it 2-0 . Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Pantilimon 4; Reveillere 3.5 O’Shea 3, Brown 3, Van Aanholt 3; Bridcutt 4; Alvarez 3 (Wickham 46, 5), Larsson 4.5, Rodwell 5, Fletcher 3 (Graham 82); Defoe 3. Substitutes not used: Mannone, Jones, Gomez, Coates, Vergini. Goals: Benteke 16 & 44, Agbonlahor 18 & 37 . Booked: Bridcutt . Manager: Gus Poyet 2 . Aston Villa (4-4-2): Guzan 6.5; Bacuna 8, Okore 7, Clark 7 (Sanchez 64, 6), Lowton 7; N’Zogbia 8 (Weimann 79, 6), Delph 7.5, Cleverley 7, Sinclair 7; Agbonlahor 8, Benteke 8.5 (Hepburn-Murphy 82) Substitutes not used: Given, Gil, Kinsella, Westwood . Goals: Benteke 16 & 44, Agbonlahor 18 & 37 . Booked: Bacuna . Referee: N Swarbrick 7 . Manager: Tim Sherwood 8 . Christian Benteke was a constant thorn in Sunderland defence.CLICK HERE to see more from Sportsmail's MATCH ZONE . Christian Benteke and Gabby Agbonlahor scored twice each in a spectacular first-half goal rush to end Aston Villa’s scoring drought away from home. ‘That was good,’ said their manager Tim Sherwood. ‘We knew we could hurt them on the break with our pace and we used it … I’m delighted with that.’ Thus Villa leapfrogged Sunderland and now look up towards safety while Sunderland’s position remains precarious just above the relegation zone, no signs of revival in sight. The fans are revolting already, several of them apparently intent on launching physical attacks on Poyet at 3-0 down. They were escorted from the dugout but other dangers remain for Poyet. The pre-match narrative anticipated a dour 0-0 but the result and manner in which it was achieved left that not so much turned on its head but stumbling dazed to the exit. Like Poyet. Like many home fans even before half-time. A shocking lack of goals has characterised both teams all season, Villa particularly. At the start of the day they had 38 league goals — between them. Sunderland now have one league win in 12 games and Villa have two in two, and three wins on the bounce in all competitions. Sherwood’s appointment has had the transformational effect owner Randy Lerner envisaged and that many observers were sceptical would happen. Agbonlahor cut inside Wes Brown before calmly slotting the ball past Pantilimon for a second time in the 37th minute . Benteke extended the lead a minute before the break when he powered a header home from a Bacuna cross . Benteke celebrates scoring their fourth goal against Sunderland on Saturday . Villa had scored a measly 15 Premier League goals this season before kick-off and an even more pitiful four of those away from home, in seven months. It took 45 minutes to add another four. Sherwood affected ignorance about the extent to which Villa had been goal-shy before his arrival. ‘To be honest, I’d not taken too much notice of Aston Villa before I came here,’ he said. ‘But we’ve not had trouble scoring goals since I’ve been here … losing becomes a habit. Winning does also.’ Sherwood and Poyet played together at Tottenham and asked if he had sympathy for his old friend’s plight, Sherwood said: ‘Always. It’s not good when you get beaten heavily at home. But Gus will bounce back. He’s got a bigger heart than anyone.’ Poyet’s players lacked heart, application and attention as they were steamrollered by Sherwood’s revitalised side before the break. In a sustained flow of one-way Villa traffic and atrocious Sunderland defending, the visitors put the game to bed nice and early. Leandro Bacuna set up the opener with a square ball to Benteke, who side-footed with his left foot low into the net. Aston Villa'smanager Tim Sherwood, right, celebrates as Sunderland's manger Gus Poyet, left, stands dejected . Thousands of Black Cats fans left the Stadium of Light before the break as their side crumbled . Stewards and members of Sunderland's backroom staff attempt to stop irate fans getting to the dugout . Sunderland fans attempt to storm Gus Poyet's dugout as the home side fell behind to Aston Villa . That brought to an end a Villa goal drought away from home that stretched back to December 2 last year: it had endured for six full league games and 614 minutes. It was something of a shock — and a source of joy bordering on delirium for their supporters — when Villa doubled the lead inside two minutes. Centre back Ciaran Clark sent a hoof the length of the left flank to Agbonlahor, who ran with it and slotted home diagonally. Villa might well have been three ahead when Bacuna, again, made swift, easy progress down the right and crossed, to Scott Sinclair. But Sinclair could only blaze over the bar from close range. The third goal came via a Charles N’Zogbia pass to the edge of the box, from where Agbonlahor slalomed past Wes Brown and Patrick van Aanholt before slotting home. With a minute remaining before the break, Bacuna was supplier again from the right, this time a high ball with pinpoint accuracy onto the head of Benteke, who nodded home past Costel Pantilimon. The game was over as a contest. When Sebastian Larsson failed to appear for the second half, with play ongoing for three and a half minutes before he came from the tunnel, some wags in the crowd joked he may have feared getting back out there. In fact he had needed stitches in what Poyet said was ‘a massive cut’ in his leg. By the time he arrived N’Zogbia, set up by Benteke, had already tested Pantilimon again. Sunderland’s Anthony Réveillere and Villa’s Fabian Delph both had shots saved. But Sunderland never threatened to get back into this, not remotely. ‘We’re gonna win 5-4,’ chanted their fans. Those who were left.
Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor combined to leave Gus Poyet's job hanging by a thread . Villa, who had scored four league goals on the road all season, doubled their tally inside 44 remarkable minutes . Sunderland boss Poyet was confronted by angry supporters close to his dug-out just before half-time .