Aston Villa sent the Brewers crashing to their heaviest home defeat in the Championship as Steve Bruce's side cruised to a 4-0 victory at the Pirelli Stadium.
Villa raced into a three goal lead in a devastating twenty minute first half spell as Keinan Davis, Albert Adomah and Robert Snodgrass put the visitors in complete control.
Spurs loanee Josh Onomah added a fourth with twenty minutes to go but this was a disappointing night for Albion who now need to regroup for the visit of Wolves on Saturday.
Albion retained an unchanged team and bench from the weekend draw at QPR. In fact it was the same starting line-up for the third game in a row. Villa also named an unchanged team and bench from their weekend victory over Nottingham Forest.
Despite Villa most of the ball in the early stages it was Albion with the first sniff of an opening on five minutes. Sean Scannell did well with his back to goal to lay the ball into the path of John Brayford marauding forward, the wing back dragging a right foot shot wide of the target beyond the far post.
Albion began to dominate for a spell until a speedy breakout by Jonathan Kodjia finished with a cut inside and low shot that came back out off the post. The Ivorian striker was also close with his head a couple of minutes later showing great spring to get up and glance a right wing cross towards the back post that Bywater got fingertips to ensuring it went wide. Villa maintained their pressure from the corner and when Ahmed Elmohamady swung in another testing right wing cross this time it was teenage striker DAVIS who was there to power home a header.
Albion found themselves two goals in arrears barely three minutes later. Snodgrass was the provider this time sending a slide rule pass through the Burton defence for ADOMAH to run on and wrong foot Bywater seeing his shot finish inside the near post.
Shellshocked to find themselves two down so early, Albion battled to find a way back into the game and Lucas Akins rose high inside the box to steer a header straight at Sam Johnstone. The Brewers were also close to hitting Villa on the break on 26 minutes, Jake Buxton sending Marvin Sordell away on the left before sending in a low cross that Johnstone cut out before Scannell could get there.
32 minutes in and Albion suffered a double blow. Brayford was down and struggling with Villa attacking and when the ball came loose to SNODGRASS on the edge of the box, his low shot seemed to take a slight deflection before seeming to go through the hands of Bywater for Villa's third. It looked a soft one to concede and to make it worse Brayford was unable to continue, Hope Akpan replacing him and going into the centre of midfield with Akins moving to the wing back role.
Perhaps symptomatic of Albion's struggles Luke Murphy did well to work an opportunity for a shot at goal on 42 minutes but on his left foot he scuffed his effort well wide of the target.
Half time couldnt come quickly enough for Albion who needed to regroup for the second half.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-3 Aston Villa
Sordell worked room for an early shot in the opening moments of the second half but his effort curled over. Albion were then making a second substitution with Ben Turner making way as Lloyd Dyer came on down the left. It looked as if the big defender was carrying a slight knock.
Snodgrass appeared to have bagged himself a second stealing in at the back post but as he steered home Adomah's cross the flag had already gone up for offside.
Murphy found space to send a dipping shot over the bar as Albion enjoyed a spell of possession deep inside the Villa half, the visitors by now seemingly content to remain solid and use their pace on the break to try and add to their tally. It was all relatively comfortable now for the men in claret and blue who seemed keen to conserve teir energy for their next outing on Saturday.
Johnstone was forced into a decent save on 67 minutes when Akpan found space inside the box but could not find a way past the man on loan from Manchester United.
Villa's fourth goal came just four minutes later as the fresh legs of Scott Hogan got the better of Jake Buxton to set up fellow substitute Josh ONOMAH to fire hime from close range barely two minutes after the Spurs youngster had taken to the field.
As well as threatening more goals the visitors were also determined to keep another away clean sheet and when Jamie Allen shaped to shoot picking up a pass from Dyer he was quickly close down by three Villa defenders on the edge of the box ensuring that Johnstone was not even given a shot to save.
The pace of Scannell kept Albion going forwards late on as the Brewers sought to at least get on the scoresheet but the men from Villa Park were not going to be breached as they made it successive away wins for the first time in over three years.