Martinez was one of the few people unsurprised last week by Villa's club-record £18million outlay for the England striker, a fee that could ultimately rise to £24million. Bent duly began his Villa career in stunning fashion by scoring the winner in Saturday's much-needed 1-0 home victory over title-chasing Manchester City. The result lifted Gerard Houllier's side three points clear of the drop zone and placed them in a position to build on such a triumph. Martinez appreciates the lift both the win and Bent's arrival will have given Villa, making them a very different proposition compared to a week ago. Ahead of the game at the DW Stadium, Martinez said: "They come here with a great feeling on the back of a good result and important performance for them, and we need to be prepared to face that. "It's a Villa side with huge experience, enormous talent, and now with a new signing they are a team enjoying a great moment in their campaign. "He (Bent) controls the transitional play exceptionally well, and we all know the pace he has which allows him to get into great positions. "Once in those positions he has a great goalscoring record, and when he plays with confidence he is someone who can win a game single-handed, which is something very valuable and expensive in the market." Bent has certainly cost Villa a pretty penny, yet Martinez added: "Three years ago his move would have been a big surprise. "But we've become accustomed to big-money moves in the last few (transfer) windows, so I didn't see this one as a real surprise. "We've seen high-profile players move from club to club with huge fees because in a way it seems as if everyone has a price, which is the nature of the game." Martinez, though, is far from envious of Villa's spending power, exemplified by another new face in £6million Jean Makoun poised to make his debut on Tuesday night. "The way we are, we never look at what we haven't got," said Martinez. "We're excited about being able to compete against a side like Villa who are able to spend that kind of money. "For us, it's about finding ways and solutions to be competitive and to try and get what would be an important win. That is where we really enjoy being where we are. "I don't think it's good in football or in life to hope for something you haven't got, and not enjoying what you've got." Martinez maintains he has drawn up no special plans to combat Bent, believing instead that hopes of a victory and potentially lifting themselves out of the bottom three come down to his players as a collective. "Looking back on our performance at Arsenal (in Saturday's 3-0 loss), if we play like we did in the first half then we will find it difficult against anybody," added Martinez. "But if we play like we did in the second half then we can beat anyone on the day, and that's the focus. "If we perform in the manner we do then we've a great chance to get the result we want."
