Aston Villa News 24/7Marc Albrighton and Stiliyan Petrov produced the vital goals to deliver Villa’s first away win of the season, but Ivan Klasnic was able to prevent Brad Guzan earning a clean sheet on his first Premiership start.
It was a much improved performance during the first half, and fans crying out for a 4-4-2 system will be quick to point out that was the case today with Marc Albrighton on the right and Charles N’Zogbia on the left. However, it has to be said that Bolton looked entirely worthy of the 19th place they held in the league coming into this one.
Still, by the break, with scoreline reading 2-0, it had been a very even encounter statistically, we had just done a much better job of carving out chances whilst Bolton struggled to do much of anything in the final third. In truth, we could, and probably should, have been another goal or two ahead.
The opening goal was superb. Following a brief spell of possession, Chris Herd found Gabby in space on the left and though his square ball was just behind Darren Bent, Marc Albrighton had got himself in position to fire in from close range.
Stiliyan Petrov chalked up his third of the season with another shot from distance, this time taking a slight nick off of Gary Cahill on the way in. As they say, they all count.
Bolton looked much brighter after the break and you might say that the goal, as typical as it was for us to concede, was coming. Zat Knight attempted to stroke in from a corner only for the ball to disappear into the crowded box. Lines were not cleared, Klasnic pounced to stab past the helpless Guzan.
A typically nervy last half hour then. Bolton pushed for an equaliser, but always looked vulnerable on the counter. In truth, both sides created chances they should have done better with, but neither side were able to alter the scoreline.
So, a much needed win, the first away from Villa Park this season, and obvious positives can be extracted. That said, Bolton looked truly awful during much of the first half and we were gifted a number of chances that we should have buried. Other teams, notably the ones coming up, will not be so generous.
Nevertheless, it’s three points in the bag, a rare experience this season, so let’s just soak it up and enjoy it for now. If it’s belief and confidence that we really need, I hope everyone involved extracts what they need from this and takes it into the remaining games of the year.
Key Events Timeline
93′ Marc Albrighton.
90′ Gabby Agbonlahor.
81′ Darren Bent off, Emile Heskey on.
79′ Ivan Klasnic off, David Ngog on.
71′ Tuncay off, Gael Kakuta on.
55′ Ivan Klasnic. Zat Knight’s scuffed shot from a corner went into a crowd, pinged around, lines not clear, Klasnic stabbed in from close range.
39′ Stiliyan Petrov.
33′ Marc Albrighton. Ball moved to the left where Gabby had drifted wide, his cut back behind Bent, who got a steadying touch on it, before Marc Albrighton banged it in.
27′ Mark Davies.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Boyata, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Tuncay, M Davies, Pratley, Eagles, K Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Steinsson, Muamba, Petrov, Kakuta, O’Halloran, Ngog.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Albrighton, Herd, Petrov, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Bent. Subs: Marshall, Clark, Ireland, Bannan, Delfouneso, Weimann, Heskey.
You might also like...
7 Comments to “Bolton 1 Aston Villa 2: Albrighton and Petrov grab the goals in first away win of season”
Leave a Reply
My regular comment this season has been that Albrighton should be playing, and I am glad my influence finally paid off. He was solid and creates that threat driving up the middle that has been missing.
Not sure about the first half being “very even” statistically; I suppose by some measures it was, but I would say Villa dominated. As you say, they blew good chances and could easily have been up 4-0. It is indeed only Bolton, but Dunne was again a shot-blocking beast and the marking was much better throughout the defensive zone.
it might just be me, but he looked a whole lot more confident after the goal. that could just be a seminal moment for him this season.
by most measures, except chances created, the first half was pretty even… which, for me, was indicative of our incisiveness, without really controlling the game.
nevertheless, 2-0 at the break didn’t flatter us.
i can’t understand what has happened to bolton though, they’re really bad. i think they miss stuart holden, and sturridge is obviously a big loss too.
A fantastic win for Villa, and I guess the feeling of optimism is back in the camp. Mcleish should now get the confidence to play 4-4-2 after the strong performance given by both wingers, Albrighton and N’Zogbia. Great work from Guzan with the saves. The American has shown that he can be relied upon with his goal keeping skills.
The win will give us the confidence for the next two tough home fixtures which we have against Liverpool and Arsenal.
On the whole a satisfying performance and 3 points which has made my weekend!!
Yes, a very satisfying 3 points which has made my weekend too
But I have no doubt it’ll be back to normal for the rest of December.
Negative? Perhaps.
Realistic? Definitely.
3 points. 8th place.
Very interesting using the 4-4-2. I’m glad to see it but I’m starting to think that it is not that AM only plays defense, he is just a bottom-line ultra-conservative manager. Several times the announcers mentioned “5 winable games”. Clearly AM has marked the fixture list as “winable or not”. He is willing to get aggressive in games we should win and then parks the bus and settles for draws in questionable fixtures.
I don’t mind being realistic but the “negative” label on AM stems not from always playing negatively but in the way he predetermines a likely loss. ManU on the fixture – play for a draw, Bolton or Norwich we can go for a win.
I imagine the strategy is a great way to make sure we pick up enough points to avoid relegation but as fans I think we’ll only see good attacking games when we play relegation fodder. Happy to see a win and I’m not a little more hopefully that we stay up but I can’t see these tactics getting us anywhere long-term.
Can we get Heskey banned for 8 weeks?