Dean Smith wants to use the momentum from Aston Villa fightback
Dean Smith has called on Villa’s players to take the momentum from their late rally against Southampton into Sunday’s match at Arsenal.
Villa head to the Emirates Stadium aiming to get back on track after the Saints inflicted their second straight defeat.
Smith’s men were beaten 4-3 in Sunday’s clash though the boss took heart from the way his team fought back from four goals down to almost snatch an unlikely point.
Villa, who had won their first four matches of the campaign before last month’s 3-0 home defeat to Leeds, are now down to eighth in the table, albeit with a game in hand on all the sides above them.
Smith said: “The way we finished the game against Southampton was really good and we need to take that into next week at Arsenal. I would have taken four wins out of the first six matches.
“But the momentum we had has been paused slightly with the last two results.
“People will look at the fact we have conceded seven goals at home over those games but I do not believe we are porous in any way, shape or form.
“It is my job now to make the lads realise that.
“It was simply the quality of the opposition we have played against.”
Smith’s views were echoed by defender Tyrone Mings who said: “We have to start games well, this league is unforgiving, so we have to be at our best from the first whistle.
“We have shown resilience and bounced back before.
“We have to do it again.”
