Gareth Barry hoping to pile the pressure is on Sunderland

Dec 14 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

GARETH Barry knows that Roy Keane will get Sunderland fired up against Villa but says the pressure will be on the Black Cats because of their lowly position.

Villa are looking for a fourth straight away league win as an antidote to back-to-back home losses.

Barry said: "It will be the perfect way to put the two defeats behind us.

"We're very confident away from home and have played some good stuff in the last three games, so there is no reason why we can't go up there and get another three points.

"I think the pressure will be on them, they are in a relegation fight at the moment but I'm sure Roy Keane will have their players fired up for it.

"But it is always a difficult place to go and obviously we've got to win the battle first and then hopefully we can put some good football together because we have some good players who can attack well."

Villa missed a catalogue of chances against Portsmouth last weekend and Barry added: "There's a fine line between being successful and doing okay and being at the bottom.

"We found ourselves on the wrong end of it last Saturday and there were two great strikes that on another day could have mis-cued, but we realise we are where we are because of how we've played up until now."

Barry is looking to improve his goals tally after netting just his second of the season against Pompey.

"It's disappointing not to have scored from open play yet this season, but you always know that if you get one, more will follow," he said.