Dean Smith: Aston Villa still have room to improve

Jack Grealish and James Chester were the home side's heroes with both finding the net as Villa recorded just their second victory in eight games.

The latter also ensured Smith's men kept just their third clean sheet of the season with a superb goal-line clearance with the score at 1-0.

Smith was pleased with the result but felt Villa's performance was arguably the poorest of his four games in charge to date.

He said: "I thought we deserved it but I didn't think we were anywhere near our best.

"We were OK until we scored the second goal. Then we had a 15 to 20 minute spell when we were excellent and could have scored more.

"There is still an awful lot to work on and work with. That spell showed me the levels this group can get to. We need to see more of it."

Grealish netted for the first time since April to give Villa a fourth minute lead.

Smith said: "Jack should have scored against Swansea. He had a couple of chances against Norwich and he should have scored against QPR. So he’s owed me one and I have told him that!

"It was something we had worked on in the training ground, a pattern of play.

"He is a player who can play more advanced for us. When he does not see a lot of the ball he tends to come a bit too deep. it is something we are working on."

Chester acrobatically kept out Jack Hobbs’s header before nodding home Villa’s second on 58 minutes.

Smith said: “The clearance was worth a goal itself.

“I watched his interview before the game when he said he has not been at his best this season. I thought he was excellent tonight.

“He can be pleased with his performance and also how he is nurturing young Axel alongside him, who is showing a lot of improvement.”