Resurgent Villa trumpet their elite credentials

ASTON VILLA have spent much of this season attempting to gatecrash the Premier League’s elite on the sly, but now their secret is out.

Having finally been taken seriously by their fellow Champions League contenders, there is a renewed bullishness to Martin O’Neill’s squad.

It was articulated most eloquently on Saturday by John Carew, who claimed opposing defences will be quaking now his side have all their firepower available for the final push.