It could all have ended so differently. Bristol City are just below us in the table - one point behind, but with a game in hand. It's yet another crucial match for the Villa and to make matters worse we're missing a number of key players.
Tyrone Mings, the lynch-pin of our new found defensive wall of steel, is suspended following a dubious red card on his last outing. Kortney Hause, his fellow centre-half, is injured. Both Jack Grealish and Jonathan Kodjia have succumbed to illness. The side should be thread-bare, but all across the field fresh players step up to the mark.
Axel Tuanzebe and Mile Jedinak perform wonders in defence whilst John McGinn yet again bosses the midfield with another show of prodigious talent and energy. In attack Anwar el Ghazi is a revelation. His twists and turns tie the Bristol City defence in knots. And Tammy Abraham mans up brilliantly to put away a penalty for the first goal of the game despite missing from the spot a few days ago against Rotherham. Another goal from Conor Hourihane a few minutes later and Villa have Bristol City on the ropes.
But for the efforts of Max O'Leary, Bristol's young goalkeeper, Villa could have netted three or four more. He puts in a blinder, saving time and again. Bristol pull one back through an overhead kick from Famara Diedhiou but the Villa defence remains strong. After five minutes of extra time we see out the win, our eighth on the trot.
Happy days at Villa Park!
