EPL Safety 'in our own hands'
1-0 win over Arsenal means Villa can avoid drop by matching Watford's result on Sunday
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Aston Villa's Trezeguet wheeling away after sinking his shot into the Arsenal goal. The Egyptian's strike was the game's only goal, giving the relegation-threatened side a potentially priceless win over FA Cup finalists Arsenal at Villa Park.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON • Aston Villa manager Dean Smith praised his side's "courage and heart" after they moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with a vital 1-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday.
The home side were given a boost when Watford were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City earlier, but still needed to beat Arsenal to take advantage and move above Watford and out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference.
Egyptian winger Trezeguet's first-half goal proved enough and Villa will visit West Ham on the final day of the season knowing victory will keep them up as long as Watford do not win at Arsenal by a larger margin.
As it stands, Villa are 17th on 34 points, ahead of Watford by a goal difference of one.
It may be a tortuous Sunday for Smith and his team but having been in the bottom three since February, they now have a golden chance to seal a second successive top-flight season.
"It was a great performance but an even better result. We knew we had to show a lot of courage, heart and work rate and we did that. I can't remember our goalkeeper making saves," he said.
"It's a big boost, that's for sure. We knew we had to win to catch Watford. Now we've got the season in our own hands. Watford can go and win at Arsenal so we have to make sure we win at West Ham."
Villa have struggled to hold on to leads this season, dropping 21 points from winning positions, while Arsenal had earned 18 points from losing positions.
So there was real tension in the air at Villa Park, although the hosts defended with calm authority to limit Arsenal's attack - they had seven shots but none on target - and clinch a first home league win over the Gunners in 18 attempts dating back to 1998.
"We've been much better defensively over these eight games (since the restart)," Smith added.
"We wanted to be better and the players were engaged with the video sessions we did.
"It was a real team performance today. We defended the box very well, I don't remember (goalkeeper) Pepe Reina making a save."
Having secured a place in the FA Cup final by beating City 2-0 last Saturday, Gunners coach Mikel Arteta made six changes and Arsenal looked a shadow of the team who impressed at Wembley.
"Emotionally and physically, it's been a very demanding week but I saw a team who wanted to fight until the end," Arteta insisted.
"We were in some really good positions but we didn't manage to deliver the ball."
Arsenal cannot finish higher than eighth and must win the FA Cup final against Chelsea to qualify for next season's Europa League.
For all the positive signs since Arteta took charge in December, Arsenal will suffer their lowest league finish since 1995.
"It tells you the gap doesn't lie. We have to make that smaller and smaller," the Spaniard said.
"I know where we are in certain areas and where we need to improve. We will get there."
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
