Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill refused to talk up his side's
chances of splitting the Premier League's big four after victory at
Sunderland.
Villa climbed into third place behind Chelsea and Manchester
United as a result of their third successive league win, courtesy
of Emile Heskey's first-half strike and James Milner's thunderbolt
after the break.
However, O'Neill insists there is too far to go for Villa yet
to be considered as genuine challengers for a Champions League
berth.
After Tuesday night's 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light, he
said: "At this stage, when we are not even halfway through the
league, there is a general tendency when you win a couple of games
to get incredibly excited about something.
"We had a taste of it from the other side - we lost the
opening game of the season against Wigan at home and there was
plenty of gloom about the place as well.
"I tend, if I can, to try to keep a level head about things.
My own view, if you are asking me about it, is that the top four
teams, who have been the top four teams for a long, long time bar
one season when Everton broke it, those four sides over a 38-game
season will eventually command those positions.
"Having said that, Manchester City are very strong - they
have only lost one game this season - and Tottenham, despite the
hiccup the other day (against Wolves), are very strong. Our squad
has got better, we have a wee bit more strength in depth in it, and
that will be tested over the next couple of months."
Villa, who had already hit the crossbar through Stewart
Downing's 16th-minute free-kick, took the lead eight minutes later,
although Sunderland contributed to their own downfall. George
McCartney's aimless pass was picked off by Stiliyan Petrov, who fed
Milner, and the midfielder slid the ball perfectly into the path of
Heskey, who gleefully thumped home.
Brad Friedel had to make a fine 37th-minute save from Andy
Reid, who then passed up a glorious opportunity four minutes after
the restart. However, Ashley Young hit the post with 57 minutes
gone and the game was effectively over four minutes later when
Milner marked his return to the north east with a magnificent
second.
The former Newcastle man picked up possession 30 yards out
and, having looked up briefly, unleashed a missile that sped high
past Marton Fulop and into the top corner.
O'Neill said: "Milner has just been fantastic since he
arrived at the football club. Last season, he interchanged with
Ashley [Young] left and right. He has come into the middle now and
he has just been colossal for us, colossal. From midfield, it is
his third goal in five games. He deserves it as well because he is
an exceptional fella."
To rub salt into Sunderland's wounds, skipper Lorik Cana, who
had earlier been booked for a foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor, repeated
the dose with Milner this time the victim and was dismissed.
Black Cats manager Steve Bruce, who has tipped Villa for a
top-four finish, said: "We were beaten by the better team, I have
to say that. There were two defining moments: we gave a poor goal
away in the first half, surrendered possession and gifted them the
goal.
"In the second half, we started brightly enough and we had a
big chance when Andy Reid had a chance - if that goes in, it might
be a different game. But my opinion hasn't changed - if there is
going to be one [team] that's going to be breaking into it [the top
four], they are going to be there.
"They are big, strong, powerful - you look at their bench and
they have got unbelievable strength in depth. "I think this is
Martin's fourth season and they are unrecognisable to where they
were when he took over. The progress he has made and his players,
it's an unbelievable difference."
