Fulham 0, Aston Villa 2: Mat Kendrick's big match verdict
Feb 1 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
WELL, Villa have finally got that proven Premier League striker with pace, power and an eye for goal that they have been crying out for before the transfer deadline.
Now they just need another one – preferably by 5pm today, please – for those occasions when Gabby Agbonlahor is not at his world-beating, net-busting best.
Having witnessed a match-winning Agbonlahor brace at Fulham, how Martin O’Neill must wish there was a Gabby double he could call upon every week.
Because Saturday showed the importance of a regular goalscorer to a team aiming for the top four.Put simply, it can be the difference between one point for a draw or three points for a win.
Last season’s bitter experience suggests that, with the inevitable loss of form or fitness and the onset of fatigue, Agbonlahor can’t carry the burden solely on his shoulders.
However, short of creating a claret and blue cloning machine – or trusting Nathan Delfouneso to step up and cope with Premier League pressure – it is unlikely that Villa will have cover for the England hopeful before the January window slams shut at tea-time today.
It didn’t take a meeting with Mohamed Al Fayed at a swanky neighbourhood south of the River Thames to tell Villa they won’t be shopping at Harrods this month.
