Bent proves worth with single touch

DARREN BENT had just one touch in the Manchester City box in this entire match yet Aston Villa’s new signing once again showed that is all he needs to win a match.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised last week at Villa’s decision to smash their club record to prise Bent away from Sunderland in a deal which could eventually cost them £24million.

However, Bent, who had just 23 touches in the entire match, wasted little time beginning the task of repaying that faith when he made himself an instant hero with his new Villa Park fans when he scored the winner just 18 minutes into his debut. Fairytale stuff indeed.

For City, it was a dagger to the heart of their title hopes as they slipped to third, three points behind leaders and rivals Manchester United, having played two more games.

Villa, meanwhile, received a significant and much-needed boost to their survival bid, moving them three points clear of the relegation zone with their first Premier League win of 2011.

So often this season Gerard Houllier’s team have departed from games without just reward for their efforts, paying dearly for their profligacy, and yet here on Saturday they arguably achieved the opposite.

The difference? Quite simply, Bent — the penalty-box predator they have been crying out for even long before Houllier’s predecessor Martin O’Neill took charge.

England international Bent’s goal pulled him level with Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney as the joint-highest scoring player in the Premier League since 2005.

Incredibly, all three free-scoring forwards now sit on 82 goals but, having caught the duo up, Bent has no intention of stopping there – especially with the likes of Ashley Young, Marc Albrighton and Stewart Downing among Villa’s ranks.

“It would be nice to stay level with them or go past them,” said Bent.

“I came to this football club because of the service and creativity they have in this team. It is something I am looking forward to.

“When you play with these players week in, week out, it must feel like Christmas.

“The ball is in the opposition box every couple of minutes. It is something I am looking forward to.

“It is not about me worrying if I will get chances because I know it is going to be the case with these players.”

The same should be said for Edin Dzeko with the likes of David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Adam Johnson on the Eastlands payroll.

But City’s new £27m man was left firmly in the shade by Bent in the shoot-out of the two biggest signings of the January transfer window after the Bosnian fluffed his lines in front of goal twice at Villa Park.

It is safe to say the ex-Wolfsburg man has quickly learnt the Premier League is a different ball game to the Bundesliga, however, he was vehemently defended by City assistant boss Brian Kidd.

He said: “Obviously it’s a lot different to the Bundesliga. Of course there is an adjustment to make to the Premier League — you have seen it so many times over the years.

“I don’t think it will take him many games at all (to find his feet). He’s been super in training. He is a talented boy, and there is a lot to his game.

“He links the play well, his finishing is excellent, his touch, passing, his control. I believe he will be a very good buy.”

Kidd concedes it will now be an uphill struggle to reel in his old employers across the city.

“They have been round the block with Alex Ferguson,” he added. “We certainly give them respect that they deserve.

“They have been there before but with our lads it’s a new experience. But once you win something, it becomes intoxicating. You want more of it.”

Moneybags City will have wondered quite how they didn’t win after a mixture of chances blown and superb Villa defending.

Having gone behind to Bent’s early goal, they came within a whisker of levelling eight minutes before the break when ex-Villan Gareth Barry’s header crept inches past the post.

The visitors turned up the heat late on with Dzeko heading a golden chance wide, while it was clear their luck was out and Bent’s was in when a Nigel De Jong piledriver deflected off Ciaran Clark and onto the left post.

High points have been few and far between for Houllier since his arrival, so it was little surprise the Frenchman was in a particularly jovial mood post-match.

“Darren is young and I would say he has got finishing class,” said the Villa manager.

“I think mentally he was strong and he coped with the pressure very well. He was extremely good.

“He loves the game, he works hard and he will improve. I looked at him and I thought ‘yes, this is what we needed’.”