The Talking Points From Preston 0 – 2 Villa

Follow us on Twitter @claretandview // Words by Harry Trend (@HazaTrand)

1. Steve Bruce is prepared to reward good performances

With Neil Taylor back from suspension, most thought he would displace Alan Hutton at left back. However, after some good performances in the unfamiliar role, the Scotsman kept his place and had another solid outing, thus justifying Bruce’s decision to extend his run in the first team.

2. Connor Hourihane is evolving into the complete midfielder

We all know how deadly Hourihane is from set pieces and long range, but lately the Irishman has shown he is more than capable defensively too. The past couple of games he’s shown a real desire to track back and do the dirty work, no wonder the midfielder is now a mainstay in the side.

3. The anti-Whelan brigade is slowly dying

Over the last few years, Villa have had a scapegoat. From Scott Carson back in the day to Leandro Bacuna most recently. This season it has looked like being Glen Whelan, or at least that’s the general view from Villa twitter, but a man of the match display against the Blues on Sunday from the Irishman coupled with another battling performance this evening should be enough to sway the opinions of the so called, “anti-Whelan brigade”.

4. Is Keinan Davis now Villa’s number one striker?

After another excellent game up top, Davis now has a real case to be considered Villa’s main man in front of goal with Jonathan Kodjia still yet to find the form of last season. The former Biggleswade Town striker won almost every aerial ball and showed he’s just as happy on the floor with some lovely flicks and touches earning him the man of the match award.

5. Villa need to take advantage of a soft November

Villa’s next three fixtures are against sides outside of the top ten; Sheffield Wednesday, QPR and Sunderland. If we’re are serious about automatic promotion, the aim should be nine points. It’s time to kick on.