Aston Villa 1 Norwich 0 - Report and pictures

On a day when Dean Smith’s men really needed to win, they did just that, edging past fellow strugglers Norwich thanks to Conor Hourihane’s third Premier League goal of the season.

The roar which greeted the final whistle, after five agonising minutes of stoppage time, was fuelled by relief more than anything else.

Villa remain in the relegation zone but the gap to safety is now just one point ahead of Saturday’s trip to bottom club Watford.

Most importantly, this win snapped a four-game losing streak and at the very least means Smith’s team head to Vicarage Road in more confident mood than they entered this encounter. They also do so having kept only their fourth league clean sheet of the season.

On a match desperately short on quality, Jack Grealish once more proved Villa’s inspiration, brilliantly teeing up substitute Hourihane for the game’s only goal on 64 minutes.

While Grealish provided the flair, a renewed tenacity in the home side’s performance was best summed up by goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who made two superb saves in the second half, first to prevent Norwich from taking the lead and then to deny the visitors from snatching a point.

Smith made four changes from the team beaten 3-1 by Southampton the previous weekend, with Marvelous Nakamba replacing the injured John McGinn in midfield.

There was also a recall for Egyptian international winger Trezeguet, a move which saw Grealish switch to a more central role.

Smith also opted to change the right-side of his defence, with Ahmed Elmohamady and Ezri Konsa both recalled in place of Frederic Guilbert and Bjorn Engels, who dropped to the bench.

Having shown an alarming lack of grit against the Saints, there immediately seemed much more fight about Villa on this occasion, with Douglas Luiz involved in an early shoving match with Norwich striker Teemu Pukki.

Luiz would have the home side’s first effort of the match, with a shot which flew well wide of the target. Trezeguet also saw a drive deflected wide as the hosts looked for a way through.

Norwich were also having their moments, however, and it required some fine teamwork between Konsa and Kortney Hause to dispossess Pukki after a sublime pass from Emiliano Buendia had opened up Villa’s backline.

Konsa also showed great pace to make up several yards on Pukki after the striker had again threatened to go through on goal.

Villa then had the woodwork to thank after Sam Byram’s header from a corner bounced into the turf, up and off the bar with Heaton beaten.

The home side were struggling for inspiration in attack and Grealish almost delivered when he showed sublime skill to beat his man and find Elmohamady on the right. The latter’s cross was headed back across goal by Trezeguet but El Ghazi, just three yards out, could not make the contact which surely have given Villa the lead.

El Ghazi was becoming the centre of attention, twice requiring treatment in the space of a few minutes and at one stage looking like he was set to be replaced by Jota, who was stripped and ready to come on.

But the winger opted to continue and then saw another great chance go begging, hooking wide from Matt Targett’s cross.

Villa had conceded early in the second half in each of their previous four games and would have done so again were it not for the brilliance of Luiz and Heaton.

First the Brazilian midfielder denied Tettey the opener with a diving block on the goal-line to divert his shot over the bar, after Marvelous Nakamba had failed to clear.

From the corner, Heaton then got down low to prevent Christoph Zimmermann’s header from creeping in at the near post.

Grealish was continuing to look Villa’s most threatening player and almost created something from nothing when he ran at the visiting defender and fired in a shot which Krul dived to his right to palm away.

The skipper was then instrumental as the hosts made the breakthrough on 64 minutes. Receiving the ball from El Ghazi on the left, Grealish glided past Tettey and then held off another defender before squaring a pass to Hourihane, who fired a first time shot high into the top corner.

Norwich looked for a response and Kenny McLean briefly had Heaton worried with a long-range drive which flew just a few feet wide of the post.

Villa Park was becoming increasingly nervy as the clock ticked down and tensions on the pitch became evident when Grealish tore into Targett for cheaply conceding possession.

With Norwich pushing the hosts further back, Heaton came to Villa’s rescue again when he denied substitute Onel Hernandez at close range.

Teams

Villa (4-2-3-1): Heaton, Elmohamady, Konsa, Hause, Targett, Nakamba (Hourihane 56), Luiz, Grealish, El Ghazi, Wesley, Trezeguet (Jota 84) Subs not used: Lansbury, Engels, Guilbert, Kodjia, Nyland (gk).

Norwich (4-2-3-1): Krul, Aarons, Hanley ©, Zimmermann, Byram, Tetty (Hernandez 76), Trybull (Stiepermann 76), Buendia (Vrancic 76), McLean, Cantwell, Pukki Subs not used: Lewis, Amadou, Srbeny, Fahrmann (gk).