Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane: I can live without another 10-goal thriller!

A broad smile breaks across the face of midfielder Conor Hourihane the moment the fixture is brought up.

“This time I’m hoping there will be fewer than 10 goals,” he says, making reference to November’s still now barely believable 5-5 draw at Villa Park.

It was a game which more than any other highlighted the maddening extremes which have run through most of Villa’s season.

Electric when on form in attack yet constantly vulnerable in defence, they fought back to level after falling behind on no fewer than three occasions before finally forcing their noses in front, only to throw away victory at the death after their opponents had been reduced to 10 men.

The headlines on an incredible night included Tammy Abraham becoming the first Villa player for more than half a century to score four goals in a league fixture.

Forest’s Joe Lolley, a lifelong Villa fan, was meanwhile involved in all five of his team’s goals, scoring one spectacularly from 30 yards out and setting up the other four, including two for former Villa loanee Lewis Grabban.

It was exhilarating fare but ultimately symptomatic of a Villa team which for much of the campaign simply could not be trusted.

Just lately, though, there have been signs things might be starting to change.

The character and togetherness demanded by head coach Dean Smith in the wake of last month’s chastening defeat to Albion has emerged, first in the second-half fightback at Stoke and then most clearly during Sunday’s explosive Second City derby.

It is reasonable to claim the latter was not the type of encounter from which Villa would have won a few weeks ago.

“The Albion game was not easy for anyone to take and since then we have worked hard on things,” explained Hourihane.

“Since then I feel we have had three good performances. There are positives.

“The wind was strong and swirling on Sunday. In the second half it felt like they started lumping balls forward.

“But we stood up to it and showed great character. You need togetherness to win games like that.

“Perhaps it wasn’t there a month ago. We had a tough couple of months as everyone knows. We have a few players back now and a bit of confidence. Keeping clean sheets only helps.”

Aside from the return of Jack Grealish, the biggest of those positives can be found in a defence which suddenly looks sturdier than it has all season.

Helped by the form of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause, Villa have conceded just once in three games.

Tonight they will target a third consecutive clean sheet against a Forest team who have won each of their last four home league games under Martin O’Neill, scoring nine goals in the process.