Vine: Aston Villa midfielder brutally beaten to the ground by thin air

Be careful out there, the silent attacker known as thin air may strike at any moment

Aston Villa midfielder Yacouba Sylla is the latest victim to fall foul of a thin air related assault. Sylla was viciously attacked by what appeared to be a slight gust of wind while on international duty for Mali. The midfielder played the entirety of Mali's 1-1 draw with Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations yesterday. Despite putting in a solid performance for Les Aigles, it was his blatant dive that has been causing a stir on the internet. As you can see from the clip, the Cameroonian player didn't even come close to touching him, yet he fell down to the turf in a heap, clutching his face like he had just been on the receiving end of a haymaker. The French-born midfielder is contracted to Villa until summer 2016, although a string of poor performances last season saw him fall out of favour at the club. He is currently on loan at Turkish outfit Kayseri Erciyesspor. Hat-tip to Birmingham Mail/ Thomas Curran