Ciaran Clark challenges Villa to bounce back from Arsenal agony by knocking Blues out of the Carling Cup

Nov 29 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

CIARAN Clark has kicked off the countdown to Wednesday’s crunch Carling Cup quarter-final – backing Villa to overcome their Arsenal agony and beat Blues.

Clark’s joy at scoring his first senior goals with a cracking volley and a clinical header turned to despair as the Gunners outclassed Villa to triumph 4-2.

But the newly-converted midfielder reckons Wednesday night’s season-defining clash at St Andrew’s is the ideal occasion to lift Gerard Houllier’s strugglers.

“We have to take the second half against Arsenal and put that into effect for the whole game at Birmingham,” said Clark, wholed Saturday’s failed fightback at Villa Park.

“I think if we do that we will have a good chance.

“I have been to a Second City game before. I was there last season and the atmosphere is really amazing.

“I think we have got to really concentrate on our performance and hopefully the result will look after itself.

“It has got to the stage where I really understand what the rivalry means.

“No-one wants to lose, we all want to win and progress.”

Asked if Villa’s young guns can cope with the hostility at St Andrew’s after having their confidence knocked by successive defeats to Blackburn and Arsenal, Clark replied: “In the second-half on Saturday we showed we can cope with a top draw team like Arsenal and I think we’ll be able to cope with Birmingham.

“We just need to be able to start the way we have ended this game.