Aston Villa got their first away win of the season but had it rough towards the end against a far from impressive Bolton Wanderers, who were consigned to - and I'm estimating here - their four thousandth defeath/poor performance of the season. Villa, who have been criticised for an insanely negative approach so far this season, started well, and always looked like scoring in the first half.
Bolton Wanderers Vs. Aston Villa, 2011 Premier League: Villans Hold Out For First Away Win
In fact, they managed twice, first when young and underutilised winger Marc Albrighton cut inside to turn home a Gabriel Agbonlahor cross and second when one of Stiliyan Petrov's trademark long-range efforts was diverted past a helpless Jussi Jaaskelainen just before the break. Bolton were a shambles, and it looked as though the visitors would absolutely cruise to a win.
That wasn't to be, as the hosts came out swinging and Villa gave ground, allowing Ivan Klasnic to scramble the ball past Brad Guzen to halve the deficit ten minutes after half time. From then on (a couple of spurned chances aside), the match resembled a grim holding action from Villa's perspective, and they just about managed to hold the Trotters off for a 2-1 win.
The result suits Villa, of course, but it’s difficult to see how that performance encourages either side overly much.
See More:
