Aston Villa Focus - Villa continue unbeaten run but lack of goals a worry
A third draw in four games, another clean sheet, and an unbeaten run extended to four matches. Villa’s 0-0 result at home to Stoke on Saturday may not have been a classic, but their control of the game especially in the first half will have pleased manager Paul Lambert.
A third draw in four games, another clean sheet, and an unbeaten run extended to four matches. Villa’s 0-0 result at home to Stoke on Saturday may not have been a classic, but their control of the game especially in the first half will have pleased manager Paul Lambert.
The lack of goals are beginning to become a worry for Villa fans, and once again on Saturday Lambert’s men created very little. Star of Villa’s season so far Christian Benteke was marked out of large portions of the game, as experienced centre backs Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth gave him little chance to make an impact. Fellow striker Gabriel Agbonlahor was also very ineffective, and was substituted with almost 30 minutes left for returning striker Darren Bent. Stephen Ireland also came on late in the game, but neither player did anything to prove that they should be in the first 11, as Stoke looked the more likely to score as the game finished in a bore draw.
After the Capital One cup quarter final away to Norwich in midweek, Villa face a tough run as they face Liverpool and Chelsea away from home, as well as a home match against in form Tottenham Hotspur. With Villa creating only one or two good chances in each of their last four games, creating similar chances against a higher standard of opposition may prove to be too much of a challenge for Lambert’s young lions. Lambert was in defiant mood after the match though, and had this to say regarding his side’s lack of goals in recent weeks:
“Look, I want to win, it is as simple as that, and on another day we might have got one or two goals and restricted Stoke to one real chance. It (the goals tally) is something I am not actually overly worried about because I know it will come.”
Their four match unbeaten run will give the team a bit of confidence after a poor run of form at the start of the season, but the matches will now come thick and fast as Christmas approaches, a period that will be a real test for his side. One win can see his side safe in mid-table, a loss can see him in the relegation zone. It is a situation that looks like it may carry on throughout the season, as each team at the bottom of the table look hard to beat at this current time.
January is now less than a month away, and Paul Lambert will be hoping that he can add some squad depth to a side full of young and inexperienced players. To get quality in though, Villa must prove the quality they already have during this next month, otherwise it looks like it may be a fight for survival for the rest of the season.
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