Gerard Houllier eyes a top-six place

Manager Gerard Houllier has insisted injury-hit Villa can still finish in the top six with the aid of two new signings in the January sales.

Saturday's 4-2 defeat at home to Arsenal meant Villa, currently without nine players, have won just two of their last eight games and sit 15th in the table.

Houllier remains calm but admits he needs to strengthen when the transfer window reopens and, with Stiliyan Petrov, Steve Sidwell and Fabian Delph out for the foreseeable future, he has reiterated midfield is his priority.

He said: "I don't think I will make many moves because a lot of players will come back. I don't want to buy players that are the same as what we already have.

"With the current injuries, it is definitely midfield that we need players. I believe we can still finish in the top six but we need to have a good run.

"When we have got everybody back and if we manage to get two players in then maybe we can do well."