Villa are keeping it clean

Apr 18 2008 By Bill Howell

MARTIN O'Neill says Villa are heading into Sunday's game with not only a belief they will score goals but also a confidence they are no longer paying for slack defending.

His side went more than four months searching for a clean sheet before two arrived back-to-back against Bolton and Derby.

"We have kept two clean sheets and that is very pleasing,'' the Irishman said.

"If you think that you might keep a clean sheet, you know you have given yourself an immediate chance.

"But we hadn't done it for 18, 19, 20 games.

"Then you are going in with a belief that you have to score a number of goals to win the game.

"There is nothing wrong with that. I have said before, I would rather win 5-4 than 1-0 because it would be more exciting.

"But at some stage you know you are going to come unstuck if you keep conceding goals. You are going to pay for it."

Understandably, Villa go into the game against Blues as favourites but O'Neill is wary that just a few weeks ago his side produced two woeful home performances against Middlesbrough and Sunderland when they looked out on their feet.

"We are going in with plenty of confidence.

"And yet I thought we went into the Middlesbrough game with plenty of confidence and we came unstuck.

"But I think there is confidence there now.

"I felt it was just a matter of time before we got into our stride against Derby.

"And when we did I felt we could be explosive."