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Can we now prove we stay up with kids?


limpid

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We claimed a vital point and a clean sheet to boot yesterday. The game may have been goalless but we did not leave it pointless and that was a bonus given the calibre of the opposition.

Our youngsters can take some confidence from this one. A win against Reading may now just give us the lift we need to reach the 40 point target that has been looking a very tough ask of late. It was a game that I would have been happy with a point from at the start and so it turned out. This is an improving young Villa side and the crucial question is now whether it can improve quickly enough to be safe come the end of the season.

Arsenal were not at their best yesterday but that is no concern of ours and should not detract from another good performance at Villa Park. Last season we would have stood back and invited them to come onto us but this season we are willing to try to match sides like this and to seek points rather than damage limitation.

Chances were at a premium but they did come to each team although it would have been harsh for either side to have lost this game as it was when we lost our last home game.

We have gone head to head at Villa Park with two of the Premier League big hitters in our last two home games. We produced whole hearted displays in both and gave each of them a tough game. We now need to reproduce the same level of performance on Tuesday against a team that will be challenging in the bottom four this season rather than in the top four. A win would give us some breathing space between us and the drop zone but anything less just will not be good enough.

My player ratings from a game from which we earned a hard gained point that took us out of the bottom three are:

Brad Guzan – 6 – Did very well to get his foot to a goal bound shot from Ramsey which had took a deflection off a defender on 29 minutes.

Matthew Lowton - 7 – Another good display and he filled in very well when asked to move over into the centre to cover for Vlaar.

Ron Vlaar – 7 – Rock steady until an injury forced him off on 61 minutes. Let us hope he can emerge from the treatment room (or should it be called the Bermuda Triangle) quicker than others who have entered there before him this season and have yet to re-emerge!

Ciaran Clark – 7 – I was impressed with the way he was not fazed when he was left as our most senior central defender following the departure of Vlaar with half an hour remaining. Prevented a late winner for Gervinho on 87 minutes when he did so well to get to a nice cross from Arshavin as Gervinho waited to tap it in.

Enda Stevens - 6 – He can hold his head up high after this one. Facing up to players of the quality that Arsenal can muster might have been too much for some inexperienced players to cope with but he may just have a touch of the late Eamon Deacy about him for me and he kept at his game for the full 90 minutes.

Ashley Westwood – 7 – MOTM - Has made rapid progress since his introduction to the first team and it looks like he has the work ethic and desire to further improve. Ran the show in the middle, showed composure and worked well with Bannan.

Karim El Ahmadi - 5 – Needs to start putting his stamp more on games. He seemed on the periphery of things at times although his booking may have played on his mind when it came to making challenges.

Barry Bannan - 7 – A hard working display and he is at long last approaching the level of performances we had seen from him in the past.

Gabriel Agbonlahor – 7 – Really put in a shift yesterday and seems to have found some of his old pace and enthusiasm. He was looking to get on the end of a ball from the half way line from Vlaar that Szczesny slid out of the box with on 37 minutes that did not earn the keeper any booking from referee Mason who gave him the benefits of any doubt as he did his team mates throughout. There were also appeals for a penalty when Gabby ran onto a Benteke flick on but Mertesacker got his foot to the ball and his challenge was a good one. On 68 minutes Holman exchanged a couple of nice passes with Benteke before playing the ball wide to Gabby inside the box but his shot was straight at the keeper who collected it at his second attempt.

Andreas Weimann – 7 – Worked himself into the ground before he left the field with just injury time to be played out. A nice ball from Westwood on 14 minutes found Andreas wide and on the edge of the box and instead of looking to cross he tried to beat Szczesny at his near post and forced a save from the keeper. He was caught offside on 38 minutes when he turned in the ball from close range after Clark had done very well to find space inside the box and his shot from a Bannan cross had fallen to him.

Christian Benteke - 7 – Held the ball up well again and wins ball in the air at will. He has very soon become the man that most worries opposition defences.

Substitutes:

Eric Lichaj – 6 - Replaced Ron on 61 minutes and did well enough.

Brett Holman – 7 - Replaced El Ahmadi on 61 minutes and was unlucky not to have opened the scoring on 78 minutes when Westwood threaded the ball through to him well and he hit a screamer from the edge of the box that Szczesny just managed to get enough of a hand to in order to deflect it onto the crossbar.

Marc Albrighton – Replaced Weimann on 90 minutes. Not on long enough to earn a rating.

Up the Villa and Stay Strong Captain!

John Lewis

Source: Player Match Ratings: Can we now prove we stay up with kids?

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