Aston Villa: Martin O'Neill all but throws in towel on Champions League chase

Apr 13 2009 By Mat Kendrick

“If I look at it with Arsenal winning on Saturday it will be hard, but we shouldn’t just give up the fight,” said O’Neill.

“Arsenal still have some very tough games to play, so have we, we just have to win them.

“I suppose you’ll point to our recent record here of not being able to win recently and say well it’s about time you started.

“I’ve not given up hope, I just said it’s hard.”

O’Neill admits Villa are not able to compete on a level playing field with the established top four of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Villa manager points out that the Premier League’s big boys have a major advantage over his team in terms of finance and recent experience.

But O’Neill has been excited by how close his young pretenders have pushed the Big Four this season and insists they still have the appetite to fight.

Meanwhile, Villa are awaiting the results of a scan on Gabby Agbonlahor after the striker limped off early in the second-half with a hamstring problem.