Young confident Villa can last the distance

AMID the hyperbole surrounding Manchester City and Tottenham’s pursuit of English football’s established elite, the challenge of Aston Villa has gone almost unnoticed.

Maybe the memories of last term’s Springtime capitulation, which saw Martin O’Neill’s side spiral out of contention for a top-four finish having led from the front all season, have made supporters and pundits wary of overstating their case this term.

Yet there they are again, in fifth place, just two points behind Arsenal and, as Luke Young, their defender, pointed out after this latest comfortable win, boasting a far stronger squad than the one which failed to go the distance last season.