Gabriel Agbonlahor: Players are to blame for defeat against Portsmouth

Dec 11 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

GABBY Agbonlahor says Villa only have themselves to blame and are still smarting from their weekend defeat to Portsmouth.

Martin O'Neill's side missed a glut of first-half chances in the 3-1 defeat and now head to Sunderland looking for three points to keep them in the European shake-up.

"Everyone is just annoyed and feeling down because when you look at the chances we created - Martin Laursen had a couple and I had three or four myself," Agbonlahor said.

"David James is a great keeper, one of the best around, and it can be so hard to score past him, but on another day we could easily have won the game.

"Expectations are high among the fans and we just have to put it right this weekend and I'm confident we can do that."

Agbonlahor says Villa have not been in a position too often where they have had to bounce back after setbacks.

"It's frustrating and disappointing, but we have to pick our heads up and go up to Sunderland and get a win to get us back on track.

"Lately we've not been used to dealing with setbacks, but we know ourselves how well we played and that missed chances cost us."

Agbonlahor has not scored for three matches, the first time since August that he has gone a period of games without adding to his six-goal haul.

But he is not losing focus: "My confidence is high. It's been a good season for me and if we keep creating the chances then I know I will put my fair share away."