Aston Villa fans warned not to expect a goal bonanza

Apr 15 2008 By Bill Howell

MARTIN O'Neill says Aston Villa are in confident mood and raring to go for Sunday's derby with Birmingham City - but he has warned supporters not to expect a free-flowing goals bonanza.

Villa head into the game having walloped 10 goals past Bolton and Derby.

But despite their buoyancy, O'Neill knows Blues will be fighting desperately for the points in their battle to beat the drop.

"We have had a great week, there's no doubt," said the Villa boss. "The immediate thing is we can go and look forward now and we have got a big game against Birmingham City."

Villa walked all over Derby at Pride Park but O'Neill is expecting a tight affair at Villa Park.

"Birmingham will be a different game, absolutely," he said. "But it is great we're going into the game and we are looking forward to it. It is a big, big game for us. It is a game and I don't know whether it will be a free-flowing game or not. I imagine probably not.

"Our intentions will be to try to win it."

O'Neill has long set out Villa's ambitions of winning all four of their remaining games. including at Everton on Sunday April 27.

He will be hoping Everton, who are fifth and hold a six-point lead over Villa, slip up in tough games to come against Chelsea on Thursday, Arsenal and Newcastle.

"For us to try and catch Everton we cannot afford one slip," he said. "We have to win everything in sight, including winning at Everton, which is a tall order but we are well capable.

"Because of our slip-ups against Middlesbrough and Sunderland at home we've given ourselves a position where we can't slip up again.

"We are capable. We are playing well, we need to steer clear of serious injury but the squad is raring to go."